The Path to Acceptance

In 1935, Kala Bagai, in her home in San Francisco, received a proposal for marriage. The man was a family friend and someone Bagai knew well. But that he was asking someone like her was unusual. Bagai had a lot to consider before she said yes or no. Twenty years earlier, Kala Bagai’s face made headlines. In September 1915, the San Francisco Call ran a headline in all caps, NOSE DIAMOND LATEST FAD; ARRIVES HERE FROM INDIA. In normal styling, the Call printed a more explanatory caption: “Mrs. Kala Bagai, who has introduced the ‘nose diamond’ in San Francisco.