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Leelarathna (Hassina and Deeptha) Photograph
Collection
TBC.LLP
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Hassina and Deeptha Leelarathna Photograph Collection
Creator:
Leelarathna, Hassina (1948-2021)
Creator:
Leelarathna, Deeptha
Identifier/Call Number: TBC.LLP
Physical Description:
0.5 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1977-1985
Abstract: Hassina and Deeptha
Leelarathna founded the first Sri Lankan newspaper in the United States. Founded in 1978,
the paper,
Sri Lankan Express, served as a voice for the Sri
Lankan diaspora, and reported on everything from the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka to
the issues being faced by the Sri Lankan communities in the U.S. Committed to serving their
community, the pair also hosted a weekly two-hour radio program in Sinhalese and English
titled
Tharanga. After Deeptha's death in 2006, Hassina
continued to run the newspaper until her death in 2021. The collection features color slides
of images from the Leelarathnas' personal lives, before and after the start of the
newspaper, as well as images documenting their travels and reporting in Sri Lanka from 1977
to 1985.
Language of Material:
English, Sinhala;
Sinhalese.
Hassina Leelarathna was born June 22, 1948 in Colombo, Sri Lanka as Hassina Gnei Sourjah.
After graduating with her Bachelor's degree from the University of Peradeniya, Hassina
quickly began to turn heads in the world of journalism. Hassina worked her way up as a
female journalist during a time in which the field was very male-dominated. After she met
and began dating Dolamulla Gamage Deeptha Leelarathna, Deeptha was offered a fellowship at
Stanford University in 1976. The pair eventually got married and moved to Palo Alto,
California in the late 1970s. They later moved to the San Fernando Valley. Once in the U.S.,
Deeptha and Hassina started their newspaper,
Sri Lankan
Express,
as well as a bilingual radio program titled
Tharanga. The newspaper is the first Sri Lankan newspaper in the United States,
and it reported on such important issues as the civil war in Sri Lanka and the 2004 tsunami
that impacted much of South and Southeast Asia. In addition to covering stories abroad, they
reported on issues in the U.S. on such topics as Sri Lankan gangs and corruption within the
Sri Lankan Consul General's Office in Los Angeles. On their radio broadcast, they featured
many famous Sri Lankan musicians, such as Nanda Malini and W.D. Amaradeva. Deeptha and
Hassina Leelarathna were dedicated to the Los Angeles Sri Lankan community, and worked
full-time jobs in addition to running these programs. Hassina most recently worked as a
financial analyst for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
After Deeptha died from a heart attack in 2006, Hassina continued to run the paper herself
in print up until 2015, when it switched to online. Hassina died in 2021 after a battle with
lung cancer.
The Hassina and Deeptha Leelarathna Photograph Collection consists of images of Sri Lankans
in the United States, Sri Lanka, and of the Leelarathna's personal lives. This small
collection documents the beginning of the Leelarathnas' lives in the U.S. and the start of
their newspaper. Photographs of their personal lives include their family trip to the U.K.,
and the birth of their son. One folder contains images of a meeting with the previous prime
minister of Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe Premadasa. The collection consists of over 800
photographic slides and dates between 1977 and 1985. Athough the collection dates to the
beginning of their newspaper and their radio program, the collection contains no discernable
images of the newspaper or the making of their radio program. Collection folders are
arranged alphabetically by title.
This collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user. Copyright status for materials in this collection is
unknown.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photographs