Santa Clara Desi News — 2026-09-09
Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian Families Sue Palo Alto School District Over Mosque Field Trip
A group of ten parents from Jewish, Hindu, and Zoroastrian backgrounds filed a federal lawsuit against Palo Alto Unified School District and Principal Brent Kline, alleging students were improperly exposed to religious advocacy during a school-sponsored field trip to a Santa Clara mosque. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in August 2026, was brought by the Community Members for Religious Neutrality in Public Schools. Among the South Asian diaspora plaintiffs are Hindu parent Pawan Deshpande and Zoroastrian parent Dinsha Mistree. The suit alleges that students at Palo Alto High School were encouraged to wear Islamic attire including hijabs during a fall 2025 visit to the Muslim Community Association's mosque in Santa Clara, and were also given Qurans to take home. Students reportedly participated in activities with the mosque's religious youth program, Noor Hifz Academy, focused on Quran memorization. The lawsuit further claims that Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, was given unrestricted access to students to advocate personal religious and political views without a balancing perspective or adequate supervision. The district, the suit states, failed to maintain religious neutrality, ensure equal treatment among faiths, protect student privacy, and properly vet outside speakers at the school-sponsored event. [2]
Hindu Nationalist Candidate Seeks Santa Clara County Assessor Post
A candidate described by Countercurrents as a Hindu nationalist operative is seeking the position of Santa Clara County Assessor, drawing scrutiny to the intersection of Hindutva-aligned politics and local California governance. The reporting highlights the candidate's alleged organizational ties to Hindu nationalist networks as the county prepares for the assessor's race. Santa Clara County is home to one of the largest and most politically active South Asian diaspora communities in the United States, giving such a candidacy broader resonance within the Indian-American community. The assessor's office, ordinarily a technical role dealing with property valuation, has rarely attracted this level of political attention. Critics within the diaspora argue that the presence of candidates with reported Hindutva affiliations in American local elections deserves public awareness, particularly as South Asians take on increasingly prominent roles in Bay Area civic and political life. Supporters counter that the nationalist characterization is politically motivated and that the candidate's faith and heritage are being unfairly weaponized. The race reflects a wider national debate about how ideology rooted in India's domestic politics travels into diaspora communities and shapes electoral participation in cities like Santa Clara where Indian Americans wield growing influence. [3]
Santa Clara Restaurant to Host Diwali Celebration With Authentic Festive Menu
A Santa Clara restaurant is among three Bay Area eateries that will honor Diwali with special celebratory meals this season. Executive chef Srijith Gopinathan, who leads all three participating establishments across Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and San Francisco, is crafting menus that weave South Indian culinary traditions with California ingredients and sensibilities. Gopinathan told Patch that the events are rooted in personal nostalgia and a desire to share the warmth of Indian festival food with Bay Area diners. 'Many of us feel very nostalgic about these traditions because we grew up with them. We're excited to replicate our favorite dishes in a way that also celebrates the part of the world we now live in,' he said, adding that the menus draw on childhood food memories brought into dialogue with what California diners most appreciate. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights celebrated between October and November, is closely linked to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and marks the beginning of India's fiscal year. It is one of the most widely observed festivals in the South Asian diaspora. The events signal the growing cultural confidence of the Indian-American community in Silicon Valley's food scene, offering diaspora residents and local diners a chance to experience authentic festive cuisine in a celebratory setting. [4]
Sources: [2] The Jerusalem Post · [3] Countercurrents · [4] Patch