(March 15, 2023) Growing up in the US, Jessica was fascinated with the idea of traveling to different parts of the world. The quintessential American girl had never imagined becoming an Indian bride one day – but life, as she soon learned, had its own plans for her.
Married to Abhishek Kumar, Jessica, who speaks Hindi just like any native speaker, has an interesting tale of ‘romance with India’ to share. She started the ‘Invisible India Podcast’, to explore Indian culture through the eyes of an American and an NRI returning to India. Along the way, Jessica also forayed into a new venture, ‘Learn Hindi Anywhere,’ helping non-native speakers and second generation NRIs get a hold on the language.’
Jessica Kumar
“I’m passionate about Hindi,” she says, during an interview with Global Indian. In her podcast, she tells stories of people who have broken stereotypes, are preserving India’s culture and languages, tackling societal issues and working to develop cross cultural relationships. Her Hindi classes, however, are about practical, real-world content, presented in a fun and engaging manner so that “instead of being a chore, it becomes fun for the learners,” Jessica explains.
Since her learners are those who have not been raised in a Hindi-speaking environment, they require a different approach to learning, and this is where Jessica has put her maximum focus. “My classes are not run-of-the-mill, like starting with the alphabets. My learners want to be able to have conversations in Hindi, that’s all,” she remarks.
Teaching people based in UK, US, Canada, Dubai, Eastern Africa, foreigners in India, and Indians from non-Hindi speaking states, the American Hindi teacher motivates learners by being an example. ‘If I can speak Hindi, they can too.’
The beginning of the Indian affair
Back in 2006, armed with a degree in marketing and economics in the US, Jessica was thrilled when she got an internship opportunity in India. “My father, who is a businessman, used to travel abroad for work, and I always had a dream of doing the same,” she tells.
India was not specifically on her mind but the country offered a certain uniqueness. Jessica interned at an American entrepreneur’s IT firm based in Haridwar, and at the end of it was pleased to get hired in the company. By then she had already fallen in love with the place, built an understanding of the culture and had made many friends.
After four years of working and staying in Haridwar, she moved back to USA, where another beautiful twist of fate was waiting to be unfurled.
Jessica – the Indian bride
In the US, Jessica learned about an organisation which was involved with supporting immigrants and refugees. They were looking for volunteers who could communicate in Hindi. Since she had developed a good grasp on the language, she stepped in to volunteer. There, she was introduced to Abhishek, who had been working in the US for a few years. The two fell in love and got married in 2010.
The couple, who are now parents of two kids, returned to India after a few years of their married life in the US, to be with Abhishek’s ageing parents. They spent the first six years in Abhishek’s home state, Bihar. Abhishek is also associated with an NGO that works to uplift the underprivileged and the couple host many podcasts together.
Of late, the family has been shuttling between Uttarakhand and Bihar for work and personal commitments.
Jessica’s Hindi…
The Invisible India Podcast is now in its fourth year and has found a foothold. However, the Hindi classes, which were launched last year, are keeping Jessica involved.
As far as her own Hindi is concerned, she says, “rehte-rehte, practice karte-karte seekh gayi.” Her grasp of the language improved in leaps and bounds after her marriage. “My in-laws talk to me only in Hindi and on top of that, I can also speak a little in Angika, the dialect they use with their relatives. That’s a different Hindi altogether,” she laughs.
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Describing her experiences in India, Jessica is full of praise. “People here are very ‘milansar’ and accepting of me,” she tells. “In other cultures, people just expect you to adjust to their way of life and take your efforts to do so for granted. In India, that is not the case. Indians are always so happy to see foreigners leaning towards Indian culture and shower them with love. This is what happened with me,” she smiles.
- Follow Jessica Kumar on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
- Listen to Invisible India Podcasts
- Check out Learn Hindi Anywhere
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Hi jesscia,
i am happy to know about and fascinated to read about you. i am suman a Hindi teacher. i am teaching Hindi since 12 years i have dome M.A.(HINDI) and B.Ed. i would like to be associated with you to teach more and more people Hindi.
thanking you
9910067224