Citizen Desi welcomes thoughtful, informative and engaging articles that help South Asian Americans better understand and participate in American civic life.

What We're Looking For

We welcome:

• Civic education and explanations of how government works

• Elections, voting and political participation

• Community issues and public policy

• South Asian American perspectives and experiences

• Essays, commentary, interviews, and personal stories

• Practical information that helps readers become more informed and engaged citizens

Articles should be informative, constructive and accessible to a general audience. We encourage diverse viewpoints and respectful disagreement.

Citizen Desi is nonpartisan. Articles should not advocate for or against a political party or candidate, and should not track the messaging or framing of a specific party or campaign. Authors may express opinions on public issues and policy — for example, arguing that a policy is effective or flawed — but should stop short of telling readers which party or candidate to support. Factual claims should be accurate and, when appropriate, supported by reliable sources.

Writing Guidelines

Please:

• Write clearly and avoid unnecessary jargon.

• Focus on one primary idea or argument.

• Use facts, examples and sources to support important claims.

• Identify and link sources when citing statistics, research, quotations or other material.

• Avoid personal attacks, hate speech, discrimination and intentionally misleading claims.

• Disclose any personal, professional or financial interest relevant to your topic — including employment or contract work, board or advisory roles, and any affiliation with a campaign, political party, PAC or advocacy organization discussed in or related to the piece.

• Avoid using an article primarily to promote a business, organization, product or individual.

As a general guideline, articles of 600–1,200 words are preferred, although we will consider shorter or longer pieces when the subject warrants it.

Submitting an Article

Authors may submit either a completed article or a brief idea/pitch describing the proposed article. Please include:

• Your name

• A short author biography

• Your article or proposed topic

• Relevant links or sources

• A photo, if available

If you would prefer that your name not appear on the published piece, let us know when you submit — we're happy to publish under a pseudonym or as "anonymous" upon request.

Author Release & License

By submitting an article (and any accompanying images or photos) to Citizen Desi, I confirm that the work is my own original creation, that I have the right to submit it, and that I have properly obtained permission for any third-party material (quotations, images, data, etc.) included in it. I grant Citizen Desi a non-exclusive, worldwide license to publish, edit, reproduce and distribute this submission — and excerpts of it — on its website, newsletters, social media and other Citizen Desi communications, for as long as the piece remains part of its archive. I retain copyright and full ownership of my work, and I am free to republish it elsewhere afterward, provided I credit Citizen Desi as the original publisher where the piece first appeared. If I wish to have my submission removed or amended after publication, I understand I can request this by contacting the editorial team, though removal is at the outlet's discretion.

Editorial Rights

All submissions are subject to editorial review. Citizen Desi reserves the right to edit, revise, shorten, expand, reorganize or otherwise adapt submitted material for accuracy, clarity, tone, style, length and suitability for publication. Editors have final editorial authority over published content and may make changes they believe are appropriate for the site, while making reasonable efforts to preserve the author's meaning and voice.

Submission does not guarantee publication. Citizen Desi may decline or remove material at its editorial discretion.

We welcome new writers and emerging voices. You do not need to be a professional journalist to contribute.