Deepak Singh

Deepak Singh is a regular contributor to PRI's The World.

Deepak Singh is a writer, radio producer and journalist. He has written for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic and NPR. He's the author of two books: Chasing America: Of Lollipops, Night Clubs and Ferocious Dogs and How May I Help You? An Immigrant's Journey from MBA to Minimum Wage.

A white nationalist carries the Confederate flag as he arrives for a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, US, August 12, 2017.

Of Confederate flag cellphone accessories and Charlottesville

Deepak Singh lived in Charlottesville when he first came to the US. Though he had an MBA and years of experience as a journalist, he found himself working retail, where he learned a lot about America.

Of Confederate flag cellphone accessories and Charlottesville
Winter scene of a barn covered in snow

He's lived in small towns across America — and it makes him look for pieces of home

He's lived in small towns across America — and it makes him look for pieces of home
Ram Advani in his bookshop, Ram Advani Booksellers. He ran it for more than a half century.

My friend, the bookseller of Lucknow

My friend, the bookseller of Lucknow
An employee takes a donut from a display cabinet at the Dunkin' Donuts store in New Delhi, India.

My American donut habit has followed me home to India

My American donut habit has followed me home to India
A surfer showers off on the beach in Cardiff, California.

I forgot the art of showering in cold water

I forgot the art of showering in cold water
It's common to see condom ads on billboards and on TV in India.

In India, condom ads are everywhere, but you can't talk openly about sex

Deepak Singh remembers excruciating moments watching TV with his family in India when a condom ad came on the screen.

In India, condom ads are everywhere, but you can't talk openly about sex
The Indian version of American chopsuey

I yearned for an Indian version of an American version of a Chinese dish

India has its own versions of international foods, like pizza and burgers. And those are some of the dishes that I miss now that I live in the US.

I yearned for an Indian version of an American version of a Chinese dish
An American flag cake

He'll eat a piece of the July 4 cake to celebrate 5 years of being an American

He is grateful, but even at a cookout, he wonders: What is it to be an American? What was it to be an Indian? Why must the labels be so exclusive?

He'll eat a piece of the July 4 cake to celebrate 5 years of being an American
Heavy traffic along a busy road in New Delhi

I never knew traffic could smell so sweet

Indian American writer Deepak Singh says it's hard to find an authentic Indian scent in America, but recently he caught a whiff of something that reminded him of home.

I never knew traffic could smell so sweet
Deepak Singh's mother, Nirmala. He says it would be almost insulting to send her a Mother's Day card.

I've never sent my mother a Mother's Day card

How do you thank someone who's given you everything? Indian-American writer Deepak Singh says you don't do it by sending your mom a Mother's Day card.

I've never sent my mother a Mother's Day card
People take part in the Holi celebrations in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

This winter, we could all use a little Holi

Holi is a Hindu festival in northern India that celebrates the coming of spring on the lunar calendar. Celebrants spray each other with colors. It can get pretty raucous. Indian-American writer Deepak Singh remembers Holi as a kid in Lucknow, and thinks about what it would be like to celebrate at his current home, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

This winter, we could all use a little Holi
Employees work inside a RadioShack store in New York on February 5, 2015. The company filed for bankruptcy the same day.

How I got to know my new home in America by working at RadioShack

When Deepak Singh first arrived in the United States, the memory of a prized portable radio brought him to RadioShack, the store that produced his beloved set. He ended up taking a sales job there, an unlikely position that gave him an unexpected view of America.

How I got to know my new home in America by working at RadioShack
My mother performs many religious rituals. This one is called Griha Parvesh, a Hindu house warming ceremony. My father makes fun of them all.

What I learned growing up with a devout Hindu mom — and an atheist dad who made fun of her

Deepak Singh grew up in India listening to his parents needle each other about their beliefs, and it left him confused over what to think about religion.

What I learned growing up with a devout Hindu mom — and an atheist dad who made fun of her
When Deepak Singh is out with his lighter-skinned daughter here in the US, people seem confused that he's her father.

'Papa, you are brown, and I am white'

Indian-American writer Deepak Singh wondered how much his lighter-skinned daughter understood about race. Turns out, more than he realized.

'Papa, you are brown, and I am white'
This is Sahu Cinema Hall, in the center of my hometown, Lucknow, India. I watched hundreds of movies there when I was kid, and it brings back lots of memories for me.

When I try to belong in America, I long for India — and vice versa

What happens when you travel back and forth between your home country and your adopted one? For Indian-American writer Deepak Singh, it means constant cultural re-adjustment.

When I try to belong in America, I long for India — and vice versa