Seattle Desi news — 2026-09-16

🤝 Seattle Tech Diaspora Invests in American Cricket, Building Bridges from Orcas to Boston

A cohort of technology veterans from the Seattle area has acquired a Major League Cricket franchise based in Boston, making a notable cross-country investment that reflects the sport's deepening roots among the Pacific Northwest's South Asian diaspora. The buyers, who built careers at Seattle's dominant technology employers, join a wave of South Asian diaspora professionals channeling accumulated capital into cricket ventures that carry both cultural resonance and growing commercial potential. Major League Cricket was established in the United States with substantial backing from South Asian diaspora investors and has since positioned itself as the professional tier of the sport in a country where cricket had long been played mainly in immigrant community leagues without national broadcast exposure. The Seattle group has articulated a talent-pipeline mission alongside the investment, aiming to channel young players from South Asian American families into professional cricket through structured development pathways. Back in Seattle, the city's MLC franchise, the Seattle Orcas, continued their season with a match against the Washington Freedom, keeping local fans engaged in live South Asian diaspora cricket at home. Together, the Boston acquisition and the active Orcas season illustrate how cricket has evolved from a weekend pickup sport in Seattle's Desi community into a professionally organized sector attracting serious capital. Sports observers note that MLC franchise values are appreciating rapidly as television and streaming rights become more lucrative. The Seattle investments position diaspora community members as architects of American cricket rather than merely spectators of it. [3]

🎉 Seattle-Area Desi Community Marks Holi with Color Festivals Across the Puget Sound Region

Seattle-area South Asians marked the spring season this year with a wave of Holi celebrations spread across multiple venues in the greater metropolitan region, from indoor community gatherings to large outdoor color-throwing festivals drawing thousands of participants. The Northwest Asian Weekly documented the breadth of programming, which ranged from family-oriented events organized by temple communities and cultural associations to commercial festivals open to the general public and designed to introduce the springtime celebration to a cross-cultural audience. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, marks the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil, and has become one of the most visible expressions of South Asian culture in the American diaspora calendar. Seattle's Desi community, concentrated across Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland, has turned the holiday into an annual civic occasion that attracts attendees well beyond the South Asian population. Organizers reported strong turnout from other Asian communities as well as non-Asian participants drawn by the festival's joyful and visually striking character. Events incorporated traditional gulal powder throws with live Bollywood and bhangra music, food stalls offering chaat and mithai, and cultural education programming for children new to the holiday's significance. The scale and diversity of this year's Holi circuit reflects the continued growth and confidence of Seattle's South Asian community in sharing its cultural heritage publicly. Community leaders noted that the enthusiastic cross-cultural participation marked a meaningful moment of visibility for the Desi diaspora in the Pacific Northwest. [5]

Sources: [3] GeekWire · [5] Northwest Asian Weekly