Arun Venugopal is a reporter and the host of Micropolis, WNYC's ongoing examination of race, sexuality and identity. The series has explored such issues as the global skin-lightening market, the problems with ethnic sitcoms and the meaning of turbans.
Arun is a regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. His commentary on Indian-American issues has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Post and the Associated Press. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion and identity issues.
Previously, Venugopal wrote for India Abroad, and served as an editor at the multi-faith website Beliefnet. He lives with his family in Queens.
Arun Venugopal appears in the following:
Help Us Map the Confederate Flag
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Strom Thurmond, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Dukes of Hazzard. They all helped turn a symbol of the South into one that unites disaffected whites across America.
How Did the Confederate Flag Come North?
Thursday, August 17, 2017
The Confederate flag, once a symbol of the South, has increasingly come to represent disaffected white people across America.
After 20 Years, Basement Bhangra Says Bye to New York
Friday, August 04, 2017
What started as a monthly party in 1997 became an institution, providing the city's emerging South Asian creative class with a gathering place and an aesthetic that was uniquely theirs.
WWE Wrestles With Foreign Stereotypes In The Ring
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Jinder Mahal recently shocked the wrestling world by becoming the WWE World Champion. He's the latest in a long line of foreign wrestlers offering a blunt critique of American supremacy.
When ICE Comes to Your Office
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Advocates for immigrants have come up with a guide so employers know their rights in case immigration officers show up.
America's Fourth: Beyond Pie and BBQs
Tuesday, July 04, 2017
As we come to celebrate the independence of America on the Fourth of July, we talk about the holiday's past, present, and future.
The State of Hate
Friday, June 30, 2017
We check in on a project called "Documenting Hate," which crowdsources bias and hate incidents through a partnership with dozens of media organizations, including WNYC.
Fifty Years of 'Excuse Me, Are You Jewish?'
Friday, June 30, 2017
In 1967, members of the Chabad movement hit the streets of New York with a simple, provocative question meant to help fellow Jews reclaim their identity. And they're still at it.
One Man Called Another a Racial Slur. Then They Shook Hands.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
For people who experience or witness bigotry, the perennial question is, do you confront the attacker or walk away?
A Brooklyn Woman at the Center of the Nation's Culture Wars
Thursday, June 01, 2017
With her commencement speech at CUNY, activist Linda Sarsour has cemented her status as a progressive star and a target of right-wing rage.
Worried About Being Detained After a Flight? Maybe This App Will Help.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
A team of software developers responds to immigrant anxieties by providing lawyerly back-up, just in case.
Immigrants Now Comprise Half the City's Seniors
Thursday, May 18, 2017
There are a million people over the age of 65 living in the five boroughs, and half are immigrants.
Schools Warned to Be Vigilant Over Immigration Officers
Monday, May 15, 2017
An incident involving a 4th grade student and immigration officers has caused alarm.
Indian Americans Reckon With Reality Of Hate Crimes
Monday, May 15, 2017
Unaccustomed to being targets, they are organizing and marshalling resources after one fateful killing.
Can the MTA Get You to Give Up Your Seat for This Woman? (She Says No Way)
Sunday, May 14, 2017
The MTA is giving away "Baby on Board" buttons to pregnant women who ride the subway and could use a seat. Will they work?
After Indian Immigrant Was Shot Dead, Indian-Americans Rethink Kansas Life
Sunday, May 14, 2017
After being encouraged to emigrate during the cold war, when America was hungry for people with tech skills, some Indian-Americans no longer feel welcome and are rethinking life in the U.S.
Culture Wars: Dealing With A Changing America
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
The new podcast "The United States of Anxiety: Culture Wars" examines the people who have been battling to shape America’s political culture for decades.
Whose Kansas Is it Anyway?
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
In the first episode of "Culture Wars," WNYC travels to Kansas, the site of a February killing that's changing the relationship between America and its South Asian community.
Finding Parallels Between the Holocaust and the Present
Saturday, April 22, 2017
A series of monumental photos of Holocaust survivors at the Museum of Jewish Heritage comes with an implicit warning: Fascism is never too far away.
The Wealthiest of Ethnic Groups Grapples With Hate
Thursday, March 09, 2017
The murder of an Indian-American engineer, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, has jarred the Indian American community and prompted it to question its place in American society.
