South Asian Success Today Isn’t Only Wearing A Lab Coat Or Balancing The Budget – So What Else Is It?

For generations, the South Asian diaspora has championed education, discipline, and prestige – values often translating into professional success in medicine, law, and engineering. Once viewed as the holy trinity of respectability and financial stability, these careers symbolized the immigrant dream realized. But for a growing number of second-generation South Asians, success no longer wears a stethoscope, carries a legal brief, or codes behind a screen. Instead, a bold and courageous new wave is emerging, rewriting the script of success.

Across North America and beyond, a courageous and bold new wave of South Asian professionals is rewriting the script. They’re swapping lab coats for microphones, courtrooms for climate rallies, CAD drawings for cocktail shakers, and more. Their courage and boldness in redefining success with remarkable business acumen, cultural authenticity, and a fresh sense of purpose demonstrate their pioneering spirit and inspire others to follow their lead. Legacy Remixed: Second-Gen

Comedy As Cultural Commentary

Rekha Shankar, a Brooklyn-based comedian, writer, and performer, is redefining what it means to be funny and culturally relevant. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Rekha has carved out a space in the U.S. comedy scene by weaving her experiences as a second-gen South Asian woman into sharp, witty, and often subversive comedy. She shares, “Growing up, I never saw people who looked like me on TV. I wanted to change that.”

A former cast member of CollegeHumor and contributor to Reductress, Rekha has also written for acclaimed shows like Grand Crew and Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. on Disney+. Her voice blends pop culture satire with the daily realities of bicultural identity, tackling themes like diaspora guilt, navigating American dating culture, and growing up between puja and prom.

In 2020, she was selected for Just For Laughs’ New Faces – Creators. She was also named one of Vulture’s “Comedians You Should Know” in 2024. Rekha is currently writing and starring in her first feature-length film, Vidhya’s Guide to the Afterlife, a comedy about a Hindu-American chef navigating grief and identity after a rapture-like event. The film is inspired by her personal experiences and has raised over $170,000 through Kickstarter.

Her rising success isn’t just in laughter, it’s in building representation. By creating space for South Asian voices in mainstream comedy, Rekha proves that you don’t have to choose between your culture and your calling.

Game Design: Building Inclusive Worlds

Manveer Heir

Manveer Heir is a Punjabi-American video game developer whose impact on the gaming industry stretches far beyond code. Known for both his technical expertise and outspoken advocacy for inclusivity, Heir has carved out a space as both creator and disruptor. He began his career at Big Huge Games before moving to Raven Software, where he worked on the 2009 Wolfenstein game. His trajectory rose sharply when he joined BioWare Montreal, where he contributed as a gameplay designer on high-profile titles like Mass Effect 3 (2012) and Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017).

In 2017, Heir stepped away from big studios to co-found Brass Lion Entertainment alongside Bryna Dabby Smith and Rashad Redic. Their mission was clear: build a studio that centers marginalized voices, specifically Black, Brown, and other underrepresented characters, at the heart of its storytelling. Brass Lion’s debut title, Corner Wolves, is set in 1990s Harlem and follows a young Afro-Latina protagonist navigating the turbulent social landscape while investigating her father’s murder. The game blends action RPG elements with rich narrative to challenge long-standing tropes and power fantasies typical of mainstream titles.

Heir has also become a prominent voice in gaming discourse, particularly when it comes to systemic bias within the industry. His 2014 Game Developers Conference talk, titled “Misogyny, Racism and Homophobia: Where Do Video Games Stand?”, was a watershed moment. In it, Heir challenged developers to think critically about how their games reinforce cultural hierarchies and exclude diverse perspectives. His critique of the “white male power fantasy” has since become part of a broader conversation on the future of representation in gaming. Following this, Polygon named Heir one of their “50 Admirable Gaming People of 2014,” acknowledging his efforts to challenge industry norms and promote inclusivity in game development.

For Heir, inclusive storytelling isn’t a trend – it’s a necessity. His work, whether in blockbuster franchises or indie startups, reflects a deep commitment to pushing the boundaries of who gets seen, heard, and celebrated in the world of video games.

Climate Activism: Leading the Charge for Environmental Justice

Varshini Prakash, a second-generation Indian American, is the co-founder and executive director of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led organization advocating for political action on climate change. Under her leadership, the Sunrise Movement has been instrumental in bringing climate issues to the forefront of U.S. politics, notably influencing the discourse around the Green New Deal.​

Prakash’s activism is intensely personal; her grandparents’ experiences with severe flooding in Chennai, India, have fueled her commitment to environmental justice. She emphasizes the interconnectedness of climate change with racial and economic inequality issues, striving to create an inclusive movement that represents diverse communities.​ The New Yorker

“I think no one should have to live in fear of losing the people that they love or the places that they call home due to preventable crises,” Prakash stated during a Sunrise Movement event. ​

Through grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and public engagement, Varshini Prakash exemplifies how second-generation South Asians redefine success by aligning their careers with their passions and cultural heritage. ​

Prakash has also contributed to literature on climate activism, co-editing the book “Winning the Green New Deal: Why We Must, How We Can,” released in August 2020. Her work has been featured in major publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

Varshini’s accolades include:

• TIME 100 Next (2019): Recognized as one of the emerging leaders shaping the future.

• Forbes 30 Under 30 – Law & Policy (2020): Honored for her impactful work in climate activism.

• Sierra Club’s John Muir Award (2019): Co-recipient of the organization’s highest honor.

• Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award Finalist (2019): Recognized for her innovative approach to environmental activism.

• Rose-Walters Prize for Environmental Activism (2021–2022): Awarded by Dickinson College for her leadership in environmental advocacy.

• INDIA New England Woman of the Year (2021): Honored for her courage and persistence in inspiring the next generation.

Mixology: Blending Heritage with Innovation

Raj Shukla, a first-generation Indian-American born in Nashville and now based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has made significant strides in the North American mixology scene. His passion for spirits and cocktails has set him apart locally, nationally, and globally in the bar and cocktail world. Raj has designed and crafted exceptional cocktails and menus at establishments like Copper Spoon and Mercado in downtown Fort Wayne, where the food and beverage scene stands toe-to-toe with any major metro. He has competed in and won numerous cocktail competitions within the Midwest and across the U.S., earning a national top 5 bartender spot in 2021 in the USBG World Class Competition.

In 2021, Raj started Do Good, Be Good LLC, a hospitality and beverage company named after the motto his late grandfather repeated to him daily as a child. The name resonates within everything Raj does, from bar and cocktail menu design and consultation to spirits and cocktail education and training. Raj teaches cocktail classes, hosts bourbon and whiskey tastings, and bartends at pop-up bars and private events when he’s not behind the bar.

Also in 2021, Shukla achieved a significant milestone by ranking among the top five bartenders in the United States during the United States Bartenders’ Guild World Class competition. This prestigious event is often likened to the “Olympics of bartending,” featuring rigorous challenges that test creativity, speed, and storytelling through mixology.

Raj was also selected as one of 12 elite mixologists to compete in Netflix’s reality series Drink Masters, which showcases the artistry and innovation of top bartenders vying for the title of Ultimate Drink Master and a $100,000 prize. Although Shukla exited in the second episode, his participation highlighted his skills on an international platform.

Shukla’s expertise was recognized by the PGA Tour in 2022, where he served as an official bartender, bringing his craft to a prestigious sporting event.

Raj’s journey exemplifies how second-generation South Asians are redefining success by pursuing careers aligned with their passions and cultural heritage. Legacy Remixed: Second-Gen

A New Definition of Success

What unites these diverse stories isn’t just professional triumph, it’s the intentional way these individuals weave their heritage into their work. They aren’t abandoning tradition; they’re remixing it. They are storytellers, creators, entrepreneurs, and, importantly, changemakers. Their significant impact not only on the South Asian community but also on the broader society is a fact that should make us all proud and connected.

However, this journey is not without its challenges. Their parents may have pursued stability in white-collar careers to escape scarcity. These second-generation pioneers leverage that stability to pursue passion, redefine prestige, and expand the definition of being “successful” in South Asia. Understanding and empathizing with these challenges is crucial in appreciating their journey and feeling a sense of empathy and appreciation for their efforts.

Doing so allows the next generation to dream bigger, bolder, and beyond the boxes once checked in triplicate: doctor, lawyer, engineer.

Because sometimes, the best way to honour your roots… is to plant new seeds.

Parting Thoughts

These second-generation South Asians aren’t rejecting tradition – they’re remixing it. With one foot rooted in the values passed down through generations and the other stepping boldly into creative, unexpected territory, they prove that success isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Whether through a punchline, a pixel, a protest, or a perfectly balanced cocktail, they chart new courses that honour where they come from – even as they redefine where they’re going.

This is what legacy looks like when it’s remixed – and it sounds like the future.

Feature Image: Sora AI