How PRDesi is Creating a Home for South Asians in Puerto Rico

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PRDesi Cultural and Educational Organization (PRDesi CEO), a nonprofit organization founded in Puerto Rico in March 2023, is working to strengthen connections among South Asians on the island. What began with organizing Bollywood movie screenings has grown into one of Puerto Rico’s largest South Asian community organizations, hosting major celebrations such as Diwali and Holi, cricket watch parties, networking events along with monthly charitable projects.

In just three years, the organization has expanded to approximately 600 members, including more than just the South Asian community. PRDesi has established partnerships with organizations such as Parque de las Ciencias, National Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, Discover Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC). Its community initiatives include preparing meals for senior citizens, supporting local orphanages, and rescuing smuggled Indian Ringneck parakeets among others.

Earlier this year, PRDesi along with DDEC facilitated a roundtable discussion between the Consul General of India in Atlanta, Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan, with local officials. During the Consul General’s meeting with Puerto Rico’s Governor, Jenniffer González-Colón, the Governor pledged to issue a Diwali proclamation later this year.

“The Governor is very impressed with different states in the US celebrating Diwali and would like to celebrate it in PR as well. The government partners are excited about collaborating with India. They know that India is one of the world’s superpowers,” said Founder of PRDesi CEO, Parveen Kaur Dhillon, during an exclusive interview with South Asian Herald. 

Dhillon said PRDesi serves as a “bridge” for South Asian Americans relocating to Puerto Rico by connecting them with resources and helping them integrate into the local community.

“We want to be a bridge for business and culture between Puerto Ricans and South Asians,” she added.

Born in Virginia and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Dhillon moved to California in 2000 before relocating to Puerto Rico in 2022 to be closer to family in Baltimore and Raleigh. Dhillon is a children’s book author and community leader who has lived in Japan, China, India and UAE.  She said that after arriving on the island with her husband and three kids, she missed the vibrant desi community she left behind.

A longtime Bollywood enthusiast, Dhillon also noticed that newly released Indian films were unavailable in Puerto Rico, often requiring her to travel to the US mainland to watch them.

“When I noticed there was not a community group for all South Asians, I took the opportunity to create one to make a difference over here. We wanted to do something in Puerto Rico,” Dhillon said, adding that’s how she founded the PRDesi as a nonprofit organization in Puerto Rico that now has 501(c)(3) and 1101.01 status.

Determined to bring Bollywood films to Puerto Rico, Dhillon began contacting Caribbean Cinemas and theater operators across the mainland United States. She questioned why Caribbean nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, St. Martin, and the Virgin Islands regularly screened Bollywood films while Puerto Rico did not.

After several unsuccessful attempts, she reached an agreement with Caribbean Cinemas, allowing PRDesi to organize screenings of Bollywood releases. The organization’s first screening, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, drew a full house, including about 60 South Asian attendees and approximately 30 non-South Asian guests.

Dhillon described the experience as “magical,” recalling how attendees stayed after the screening to socialize and celebrate the arrival of Bollywood films in Puerto Rico.

Beyond film screenings, PRDesi has expanded its focus to community service through a variety of “seva” projects. Working with organizations such as The Happy Givers, volunteers prepare meals for senior citizens and support local orphanages. The nonprofit has also formed a cricket club, hosted live Desi artists and recently organized a “Mic and Masala” karaoke night.

Among its annual initiatives, the organization’s holiday toy drive has become another successful program. Last year, PRDesi partnered with Parque de las Ciencias to organize educational field trips for children. More recently, it hosted an outing for 40 senior citizens served through The Happy Givers, including one participant who was 92 years old.

PRDesi also played a role in rescuing 116 Indian Ringneck parakeets that had been smuggled into Puerto Rico. According to Dhillon, the birds were facing euthanasia before the organization intervened by helping fund their care and housing. She said the birds’ enclosure will soon feature a plaque recognizing the rescue as the “PRDesi Parakeets.” It will also feature a QR Code to provide more educational and cultural information about India. 

Dhillon informed that Puerto Rico is welcoming a growing community of accomplished South Asian entrepreneurs who spent decades building businesses and careers in states like California, New York, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. Today, they are choosing the Island as a place to invest, innovate, raise their families, and contribute to Puerto Rico’s economic and cultural future

Dhillon credited the organization’s growth to strong community support, particularly from families raising children in Puerto Rico who are seeking a greater sense of belonging. She said cultural events such as Bollywood Fest and Holi have drawn enthusiastic participation from both South Asian families and the broader Puerto Rican community, as children often invite classmates and friends to attend.

“I think it gives us a sense of identity over here, and we’re not just here to work, we’re here to celebrate who we are, we’re here to meet and collaborate. So, I honestly think that’s the way our community is growing,” Dhillon emphasized adding the outpouring of support from Puerto Ricans and others from the non-desi community.

She noted that PRDesi has welcomed members with roots in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and others adding that many of its members are Americans of South Asian heritage. “When you leave your country and come here, you’re just looking at the people who wear the same type of clothes, they have the same type of roots that you have. So, I think that ultimately our roots are the same, and we’re now building our roots over here. It’s a bond that you can’t explain…”

According to Dhillon, the principle that unites the organization is “Seva,” or selfless service, with members working alongside local organizations to support the broader Puerto Rican community.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We want to work with the organizations that already exist in Puerto Rico, hand in hand, and say we’re here. How can we help you?”

She said local organizations have continued to help PRDesi expand through partnerships, sponsorships, and access to larger venues. The nonprofit has recently organized cricket watch parties and Super Bowl gatherings in partnership with businesses including Hilton Garden Inn.

Its largest collaboration has been with Parque de las Ciencias, where PRDesi hosted a signature Bollywood Fest attended by about 500 people in November 2025, followed by a Holi celebration that drew approximately 1,000 attendees in March 2026.

“Both events were sold out and with attendance from diverse communities,” added Dhillon.

Members of PRDesi also shared their experiences and reflected on the organization’s impact on their lives and the broader community.

“When Dip and I decided to move to Puerto Rico with two young children, one of my biggest fears was that they wouldn’t have the same cultural connection we grew up with in the Northeast. Back home, our culture was woven into everyday life — we never had to look for it,” said Seema and Dip Patel. “Then we found PRDesi, and it’s given our family something I never could have imagined: a way to experience our heritage alongside Puerto Rican culture in a rich, immersive way. I’ve been blown away — honestly, it’s been even more than what I experienced myself growing up.”

Akhil Morada, originally from India who was raised in Nepal, said he has “proudly” supported PRDesi since its inception because he believes in the organization’s mission of building community.

“My wife Amanda grew up in Wisconsin, our two young daughters were born here in Puerto Rico, and we make it a point to bring our non-Desi friends and colleagues to Holi, Bollywood Fest, and other PRDesi celebrations,” said Morada. “Watching them embrace our culture with the same excitement we do is exactly the kind of inclusive, multicultural Puerto Rico we hope our daughters will grow up in.”

Dr. Shakil Shafique and Dr. Lily Shafique, both Bangladeshi American physicians, said after raising their family in Puerto Rico for more than 30 years, they believed they had experienced everything the island had to offer.

“PRDesi surprised us. It has given our community a place to celebrate our traditions, make lifelong friends, and proudly share our culture with our Puerto Rican colleagues,” they added.

Harshad and Tilu Lakhani said that after spending 55 years in New York, relocating to Puerto Rico in their late seventies marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in their lives.

They said PRDesi made them feel at home from the very beginning, adding that nothing has been more rewarding than seeing friendships blossom into a thriving community through the organization.

Hiren and Rita Patel said their families immigrated to New York when they were infants and raised them to value their South Asian heritage by participating in and leading various community organizations.

Reflecting on their own move to Puerto Rico five decades later, they said it has been rewarding to follow in their parents’ footsteps by helping pioneer similar community-building efforts through PRDesi.

The Patels said Puerto Ricans have warmly embraced PRDesi’s core values of “Diversity, Inclusion, Education, Volunteerism and Charity.”

According to Dhillon, the greatest testament to PRDesi’s impact is that its vision has been embraced not only by the South Asian community, but by Puerto Rico itself. With the support of partners and sponsors including Claro, Caribbean Cinemas, Coca-Cola, Sun West Mortgage Company, Parque de las Ciencias by Toro Verde, and many others, the organization continues to “build bridges” between cultures through unforgettable shared experiences.

Dhillon emphasized that one conversation between her and President & CEO of ToroVerde Eco Parks, Jorge Jorge inspired a vision that continues to shape the organization’s signature events. 

“If we can’t bring Puerto Ricans to India, then let’s bring India to Puerto Rico,” according to Jorge Jorge. 

According to her, that vision will continue on November 14, 2026, when PRDesi presents “Bollywood Fest 2026: The Sangeet Experience,” another celebration designed to bring together the cultures and communities of South Asia and Puerto Rico.