Turning Five - Hindu Advocacy Comes to Las Vegas

A packed room in Las Vegas at the Enterprise Library came together to celebrate, but also to plan for the next decade. It was CoHNA’s 5 year anniversary celebration and  time to rejoice in how far the community has come in such a short time. And it was also the start of a local movement to replicate these wins locally and create an effective voice for Hindus in Nevada. Attendees ranged from students, parents, professionals, to senior community leaders and lawmakers including senior staff from Senator Jacky Rosen’s office. 

Like many CoHNA events, this one had a youth focus. We honored CoHNA youth leader Abhimanyu Gupta, who has already driven significant change. We heard from a cross section of students sharing about classroom moments where Hinduism was either ignored or caricatured. 

One high school student reflected, “When I raise my hand to correct the teacher, I feel like I’m speaking for millions of people. That’s too heavy for one kid to carry — but that’s our reality.” Another participant added, “It’s not just about defending ourselves. Advocacy means making sure the next generation of kids doesn’t go through what we went through.”

A Hindu parent noted, “we grew up being told to keep our heads down and stay quiet. These kids are teaching us that silence is no longer an option.” This intergenerational dialogue became a hallmark of the event — a recognition that advocacy is both about protecting cultural dignity today and building civic leaders for tomorrow.

There were many candid conversations about identity, and the challenges of growing up Hindu in today’s America.  But what stood out equally, were the stories of success-where strategic advocacy and thoughtful pushback had driven positive change- everything from modifying laws that would imprison those displaying Swastikas to protecting parental visitation rights to students who drove changes in their school.

Let the next 5 years build on the past 5 for even greater impact. Join the CoHNA movement.