In celebration of Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month, join the SJSU King Library and Community Engagement Librarian Mantra Roy, the organizer of the South Asians in Silicon Valley initiative, for a new exhibit, “South Asians @ SJSU: Histories of South Asian Students (1930-1990s)” which will honor the contributions and impact of South Asian students at SJSU across generations.

Learn the incredible legacies of South Asian Spartans like Mary Leela Rao, an Olympic athlete and 1961 SJSU prom queen, Ram Bagai, one of the first South Asian students at SJSU, and Hassina Leelarathna, a pioneering Sri Lankan-American journalist. So many inspiring South Asian Spartan stories remain untold, until now! South Asian @ SJSU exhibit will bring these legacies to life, honoring the journeys and achievements of South Asian alumni from the 1930s to the 1990s.

So many inspiring South Asian Spartan stories remain untold, until now! The “South Asian @ SJSU” exhibit will bring these legacies to life, honoring the journeys and achievements of South Asian alumni from the 1930s to the 1990s. 

There are multiple ways to get involved today to honor the contributions of past generations and inspire future South Asian Spartans. Together, we can continue to preserve this legacy and celebrate the enduring impact of belonging at SJSU. 

• Share your South Asian alumni story: tiny.sjsu.edu/SouthAsianStories 

• Join the SJSU South Asian community: tiny.sjsu.edu/JoinSASVCommunity

• Support this initiative with a donation: tiny.sjsu.edu/sjsusouthasians

Visit the South Asians in the Silicon Valley website to experience the digital exhibit starting May 30, 2025 or other exhibits and programs. tiny.sjsu.edu/sasv

South Asians include people from or with family origins in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.