Growing up as a first-generation Illankai Tamil in the United States, I often found myself navigating two very different worlds with no roadmap. At home, I carried the essence of my culture and identity; outside, I faced an educational and professional system my family had never experienced before. What made it harder for other Tamils and me was realizing how few established Illankai Tamil resources, mentors, or community networks existed here—especially ones that could guide students and young professionals through the realities of schooling, career paths, leadership, and life in the U.S.
That gap is what inspired me to build a structured mentoring program through Muthamizh Munnetra Mandram (MMM). MMM was created to uplift the New York Tamil communities through culture, education, connection, and collective progress. Our mentoring initiative grew from that mission: to bring people together, create opportunities for guidance, and ensure that no Tamil student feels as lost or alone as many of us once did.
Many Illankai Tamil families immigrated here with strength and resilience to start a new life, but without familiarity with the American educational system, professional landscape, or networking culture. By pairing students with mentors who have taken their time to dedicate to the younger generation and who understand these challenges, we’re not only offering guidance—we’re building confidence, representation, and belonging.
My vision is for this program to grow beyond New York—to become a model of Tamil mentorship across the United States. I hope it becomes a space where Illankai Tamil youth can find direction, learn about educational pathways early, and feel supported by a community that truly understands their experiences. Most importantly, I want it to be a space where culture and opportunity meet, and where every mentee feels empowered to lead the next generation forward.
This program began as a way to fill the gaps that other Tamils and I once felt—but it has already grown into something much larger: a movement to bring our community together, strengthen our connections, remember our history, and build a stronger future for Illankai Tamils here in New York as well as the U.S.
With this program, we have collectively done an online career fair via Zoom, which encompassed speakers and attendees from the Tri-state area. For the future, we are planning to conduct an in-person career fair and other forms of networking, showcasing life skills, parent information sessions, and topics regarding mental health, women in STEM, and college prep.
Below are a few anecdotes from our current mentors, who are assisting me and others to guide Illankai Tamils in New York.
- " I became a mentor the moment I realized how lost I felt as a young Tamil woman trying to navigate spaces where no one looked like me or understood my cultural expectations. Mentorship mattered because it was the first time I felt seen rather than split between two identities. Having this as a Tamil is important to me because our girls deserve guidance rooted in shared experience, not silence."
- "As a mentor, I realized how many Tamil youth quietly carry emotional weight they don’t feel safe expressing. Creating this for Tamils is important because we need places where honesty is met with understanding, not stigma."
- "I started mentoring after realizing how hard it was for me, as a Tamil student, to enter professional spaces while carrying the cultural expectation to stay quiet rather than lead. Over time, I gained confidence and a voice I never believed I was allowed to have; hence, as a mentor, providing this for our Tamil community matters because talent shouldn’t be limited by silence or self-doubt."
More information email:
Dr. Bairavi Maheswaran DO
