Indian-American Diaspora in the Hoosier State, 1999-2000
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory
Indiana University
400 North Sunrise Drive
Weatherly Hall North, Room 122
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
http://www.indiana.edu/~cshm
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleIndian-American Diaspora in the Hoosier
State, 1999-2000
Project No.
ohrc068
Interviews
21 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room
122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells
Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please
contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This project, sponsored by a CLIO grant from the Indiana Historical Society, consists
of interviews with Indian-American living in Indiana. The interviewees, the majority
of whom were born in India and immigrated to the United States, discuss a variety of
topics including: Indian foodways, Indian traditions, Indian national politics,
education, career choice, family history, parenting philosophy, reasons for coming
to the United States, reasons for remaining in the United States, citizenship and
naturalization, marriage and dating customs. media coverage of India, and
differences between Indian and American cultures. This project was co-directed by
Professor M. Gail Hickey of the School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue
University at Fort Wayne.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains twenty-one interviews conducted over four years. The interviews range from 28 to 122 minutes. All
interviews consist of audio tapes and typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for the Study of History and Memory at Indiana
University is open to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are
available only when such copies are permitted by the deed of gift signed by the
interviewee. Scholars must honor any restrictions the interviewee placed on the
use of the interview. Since some of our earlier (pre-computer) transcripts do
not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript (deletions,
additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Tapes may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for
that interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the
taped interview. Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use,
but excerpted quotes may be used as long as researchers fully cite the data in
their research, including accession number, interview date, interviewee's and
interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for the Study
of History and Memory, Indiana University, Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript].
Interview List
Interviewee
Alagh, Aman
July 13,
2002
Call Number
99-067
Physical Description
32 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Aman Alagh, born September 16, 1980, discusses his early life in
India, his decision to study abroad in the United State, perceptions of India
held by Americans, Indian values vs. American values, college life, leisure
activities, and his plans for the future.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delhi Public School
- Delhi University
- Indian Institute of Technology
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Place Names
- Chicago, Illinois
- Delhi, India
- Pakistan
- Punjab, India
-
-
Subjects
- Bollywood
- brain drain
- cricket
- gurudwara
- Hinduism
- joint family
- Newly Returned Indians
- September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
Interviewee
Barai, Bharat; Bharai, Panna
November 2,
2002
Call Number
99-068
Physical Description
31 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Doctor Bharat Barai and his wife Doctor Panna Barai discuss
their families and early lives in India, their medical schooling in India and
the United States, and their lives in the United States. They also discuss
raising children, international politics, and differing cultural values between
India and the United States.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Alembic Chemicals
- Alembic Vidyalaya
- Baroda Medical College
- Northwestern University
- University of Illinois
-
-
Occupation Names
- gynecology
- hematology
- obstetrics
- oncology
-
-
Personal Names
- Burton, Dan
- Patel, Thakur Bhai
-
-
Place Names
- Baroda, India
- Bombay, India
- Chicago Illinois
- Gujurat, India
-
-
Subjects
- arranged marriage
- Hinduism
- joint family
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Bera, Suparna
April 28,
2001
Call Number
99-059
Physical Description
10 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 28 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Henry, Robin
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Suparna Bera, born and raised in Guyana, currently resides in
Vaplraiso, Indiana where she is a student at Valpariaso University. Miss Bera
discusses her upbringing in Guyana, and the ways her family kept in touch with
family members and friends in India. She talks about her time in England at a
boarding school. She also talks about her interests in dentistry, the field of
her parents. Finally, Miss Bera discusses the importance of Hinduism in her
daily life.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Gooden College for Girls
- Valparaiso International Student Association
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Place Names
- Briton Ferry, Great Britain
- Guyana
-
-
Subjects
- Hinduism
- marriage customs
Interviewee
Bose, Samir; Bose, Sudesh
March 11,
2002
Call Number
99-064
Physical Description
35 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Samir and Sudesh Bose, who currently are professors at Notre
Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, where both born and raised in India.
They talk about their families' history and how they were effected by the 1947
Partition. They speak of their schooling in India, and of Samir's decision to
come to the United States to earn a doctoral degree, and if Sudesh's decision
to follow him to also complete a doctoral degree. They discuss raising their
two daughters and one son, and speak of the Indian values and traditions they
raised them with. They talk about their limited involvement with the larger
Indian community in and around South Bend.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Brandeis University
- Notre Dame University
- University of Rochester
-
-
Occupation Names
- physics professor
-
-
Place Names
- Bangladesh
- Bihar, India
- Delhi, India
- Punjab, India
- South Bend, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- acculturation
- citizenship
- globalization
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- interracial marriages
- language acquisition
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- religious beliefs
Interviewee
Dutt, Amitava
March 11,
2002
Call Number
99-063
Physical Description
31 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Professor Amitave Dutt, who is currently an economics professor
at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, was born and raised in
Calcutta, India. He discusses his family's history and involvement in Indian
national politics. He talks about his edication in India in provate schools,
and his time at the Presidency College in Calcutta, where he also later taught.
She speaks of his decision to move to the United States to further education,
and of his American spouse, whom he met in Florida. Professor Dutt talks about
his interests in economic theoretical models, and his emphasis on research and
publishing in his career, which he feels would not have been possible teaching
in India. Finally, he discusses his current life, his involvement with the
larger Indian community in South Bend, and of his son, whom he is raising to be
aware of his Indian heritage.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Florida International University
- Notre Dame University
- Presidency College
-
-
Occupation Names
- economics professor
-
-
Place Names
- Calcutta, India
- Florida
- South Bend, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- acculturation
- economic theorectical models
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian Independence Movement
- Indian national politics
- interracial marriages
- joint families
- language acquisition
- parenting philosophy
- poverty
- racial discrimination
- religious beliefs
- September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
Interviewee
Emmanuel, Toban J. May 9, 2000
Call Number
99-051
Physical Description
17 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 35 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. Emmanuel constrasts his life in the United States with his life in India.
He also discusses some of the difference between the Latin Catholic Church
in America and the Syrian Catholic Church in India.
Toban J. Emmanuel, a software engineer currently residing in Columbus,
Indiana, speaks about living in America and India. He was born and raised in
Kerala, India, to a Syrian Catholic family. He decided from an early age he
wanted a career in computer science, and after earning a master's degree in
India started working at Data Consulting Services in Bombay, India. After a
few years, he got the oppurtunity to come to America and work for Cummins,
Incorporated in Columbus, Indiana. Mr. Emmanuel constrasts his life in the
United States with his life in India. He also discusses some of the
difference between the Latin Catholic Church in America and the Syrian
Catholic Church in India.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Cummins, Incorporated
- Data Consulting Services
-
-
Occupation Names
- software engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Bombay, India
- Columbus, Indiana
- Kerala, India
-
-
Subjects
- Indian Christians
- Indian educational system
- joint families
- racial discrimination
- Syrian Catholic Church
Interviewee
Ghosh, Rita
September 16,
2000
Call Number
99-054
Physical Description
28 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Rita Ghosh, who currently resides in Terre Haute with her
family, was born in Gujarat, India and was raised and educated in Calcutta,
India. She discusses her joint family and the equal closeness she felt with her
siblings and cousins while growing up. She speaks of her marriage and
subsequent move to Chicago, Illinois, where her husband was studying. She talks
about the initial shock of American culture and the adjustments she had to
make. She speaks of her time in Buffalo, New York, where the birth of their
first child prevented her from entering a PhD program. She and her family then
moved to Terre Haute, Indiana where her husband was given a professorship. Mrs.
Ghosh speaks of her involvment in the local Indian community association, of
which she is currently the president. She also discusses the Indian values she
and her husband have tried to pass on to their two daughters over the years.
Mrs. Ghosh also teaches Indian dance to interested members in the
community.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- University of Illinois
-
-
Occupation Names
- biology instructor
- Indian classical dance teacher
-
-
Place Names
- Buffalo, New York
- Calcutta, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- East Bengal, India
- Terre Haute, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- acculturation
- dating customs
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian dance
- Indian educational system
- joint families
- marriage customs
- parenting philosophy
- religious beliefs
Interviewee
Ghosh, Swapan K. April 16, 2000
Call Number
99-046
Physical Description
35 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Swapan K. Ghosh, a life sciences professor at Indiana State University in
Terre Haute, Indiana, discussses his life in India and the United States. He
was born in Calcutta, India to parents of Bangladesh descent. He talks about
his education, focusing in biochemistry, in India, and his move to the
United States to further his education. He speaks of the different places he
has lived in America, and shares his impressions of the educational systems
and cultural environment. He speaks of the challenge of raising his children
in America, and the Indian values and traditions he and his wife practice.
He discusses his involvement with the Terre Haute Indian community
association and the activities he participates in, including both
philanthropic and cultural events. Finally, he discusses his family's
involment in Indian national politics, and his current involvment in United
States national and local politics.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana State University
- Lighthouse Mission Church
- National Institutes of Health
- Rush Medical College
- State University of New York at Buffalo
- Taste of India Restaurant
-
-
Occupation Names
- life sciences professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Aurobindo
- Bhola, Harbans
-
-
Place Names
- Bangladesh
- Buffalo, New York
- Calcutta, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Terre Haute, Indiana
- West Bengal, India
-
-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- Bengali culture
- citizenship
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian Independence Movement
- Indian national politics
- local politics
- national politics
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- philanthropy
- religious festivals
- white slavery
Interviewee
Gupta, Puja November 23, 1999
Call Number
99-045
Physical Description
24 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 65 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Puja Gupta, born in Punjab, India, discusses growing up in America with
Indian parents. Her family immigrates to the United States when she was very
young, and she and her family have resided here since. She discusses her
regret of not retaining Punjabi or Hindi language skills after she learned
English. She talks about her family's social structure, and the many
cousins, uncles and aunts that live in different parts of America. She
speaks of her educational background and her decision to study medicine. She
talks about her involvement with the Indian Student Association while she
was attending Indiana University, and some of the differences between
Indian-born Indians and Indians raised in the United States. She descibes
the Indian heritage of her family like Hinduism, foodways, dress, and
values. She also talks about the differences between her and her parent's
ideas about marriage and dating.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University Asian American Association
- Indiana University Indian Student Association
- Rush Medical College
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Punjab, India
- South Bend, Indiana
- Terre Haute, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- dating customs
- Hinduism
- Indian dance
- Indian foodways
- Indian student associations
- Indian traditional dress
- joint families
- language acquisition
- marriage customs
- naturalization
- tennis
- travel
Interviewee
Juneja, Karam
March 11,
2002
Call Number
99-062
Physical Description
2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes
Interviewer:
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Karam Juneja, currently living in Valparaiso, Indiana, was born
and raised in Delhi, India. He speaks of his schooling there, and of the
educational system in India in general. Mr. Juneja discusses his family life,
his sister, and his parents, and the influence they have had on him growing up.
He talks about hsi time at Valparaiso University, and of his involvement in the
greater Indian and international community around the college. He speaks of his
American girlfriend, and the implications of having an interracial marriage on
raising children and family relations. He discusses American and British
perceptions of India and Asia, and of news coverage of Indian news in American
media. Finally, she speaks of his religious beliefs in Sikhism and discusses
some of the practices and history of the religion.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Cambridge University
- Family Express Corporation
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Occupation Names
- gas station manager
- marketing executive
-
-
Place Names
- Delhi, India
- London, England
- Los Angeles, California
- New York, New York
- Valparaiso, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- Bollywood
- family business
- Gurudwara
- Hindi film industry
- Hindu-Muslim conflict
- Hinglish
- Indian educational system
- Indian national politics
- Indian student associations
- international politics
- international student associations
- international travel
- interracial marriages
- marriage customs
- news coverage
- philanthropy
- racial discrimination
- religious beliefs
- September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
- servants
- Sikhism
Interviewee
Juneja, Renu
February 22,
2001
Call Number
99-056
Physical Description
2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; no index
Interviewer:
Henry, Robin
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Renu Juneja, who currently lives and works in Valparaiso,
Indiana, was born in Lahore, Pakistan in pre-partition India. She and her
family was forced out of their ancestral home in 1947 when the Partition took
effect and settled in Delhi, India. She discusses her family history and their
influence on her way of life as she was growing up. She talks about her
interests in English literature, which eventually led to her decision to move
to the United States. After settling in America, she married an American who
she divorced after a few years. She later remarried an African American. She
and her husband evetually settled in Valparaiso, Indiana to raise their family.
Mrs. Juneja discusses her two children and the way she has tried to pass on the
values that are important to her. She also talks about her religious beliefs
and the increasing imporatnce of Sikhism in her life as she gets older.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Occupation Names
- university adminstrator
-
-
Place Names
- Delhi, India
- Lahore, Pakistan
- Valparaiso, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- divorce
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- interracial marriages
- marriage customs
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- Punjabi culture
- racial discrimination
- religious beliefs
- Sikhism
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Korrapati, Ravi May 2, 2000
Call Number
99-047
Physical Description
20 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 58 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ravi Korrapati, a mechanical engineer who lives and works in Columbus,
Indiana, dicusses his life in India and the United States. He was born and
raised in Andhra Pradesh, India, in a small farming community. He discusses
his educational background, and his initial decision to come to the United
States to study genetics at Bowling Green University in Ohio. He then
switched disciplines and moved to New Jersey to study mechanical
engineering. In 1991, he returned to India to marry, and he and his new wife
returned to America and have lived here since. Currently, Mr. Korrapati
participates in the Indian community in Columbus through informal
get-togethers and monthly Hindu prayer meetings and study groups. He and his
wife still maintain many Indian traditions, and are trying to raise their
daughters to appreciate their Indian heritage.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Bowling Green University
- Cummins, Incorporated
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
-
-
Occupation Names
- mechanical engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Andhra Pradesh, India
- Columbus, Indiana
- New Jersey
-
-
Subjects
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- parenting philosophy
Interviewee
Lal, Girdhari May 6, 2000
Call Number
99-050
Physical Description
17 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 47 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Girdhari Lal, a software engineer currently residing in Columbus, Indiana,
discusses living in India and the United States. He was born and raised in
Himachal Pradesh, India, where his family owned and operated a grocery
store. He speaks of his decision not to join in the family business and
study computer science. After working in India for a few years, he got the
oppurtunity to work in America. He discusses his marriage, for which he
returned to India. He talks about the ways he and his wife maintain their
Indian lifestyle in America, like practicing Hinduism, cooking Indian food,
and participating in the Indian-American community in Columbus, Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Cummins, Incorporated
- Himachal Pradesh University
-
-
Place Names
- Columbus, Indiana
- Himachal Pradesh, India
-
-
Subjects
- family business
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- joint families
- marriage customs
Interviewee
Maran, Tamil May 4, 2000
Call Number
99-048
Physical Description
17 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Tamil Maran, who is a software engineer currently residing in Columbus,
Indiana, discusses he life in India and the United States. He talks about
his childhood and young adult years in Tamil Nadu, India, and speaks of his
educational background. After earning a master's degree, he started working
as a software engineer in India, and after a few years had the oppurtunity
to work in America. She and his wife are happy living in America, although
Mr. Maran found American culutre difficult to adjust to at first. They are
unsure whether they want to stay in America or return to India to raise a
family. Mr. Maran still maintains many Indian traditions, including foodways
and practicing Hinduism, and associates socially with mainly Indians.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Cummins, Incorporated
-
-
Occupation Names
- software engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Bombay, India
- Columbus, Indiana
- Tamil Nadu, India
-
-
Subjects
- acculturation
- computer science
- Hindu temples
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- marriage customs
- puja
Interviewee
Menon, Raj May 8, 2000
Call Number
99-049
Physical Description
29 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. Menon discusses his decision to get married, and his family's search for
a suitable companion with a similar background to his. He speaks of the
greater economic and educational oppurtunites that are available in the
United States. He talks about some of the discrimination he and his family
has experienced because of their differences in America. He also discusses
the ways he and his family maintain Indian values and traditions in
America.
Raj Menon, a mechanical engineer currently residing in Columbus, Indiana,
discusses his experiences living in India and America, He was born and
raised in Kerala, India and knew from an early age he wanted to be an
engineer. After finishing his early education, he attended the Indian
Institute of Technology, and from there get an offer to study in the United
States at Purdue University. He then got a position at Cummins,
Incorporated, and has remained there since.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Cummins, Incorporated
- Indian Institute of Technology
- Purdue University
-
-
Occupation Names
- mechanical engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Columbus, Indiana
- Kerala, India
-
-
Subjects
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- Indian traditional dress
- marriage customs
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- racial discrimination
- religious beliefs
Interviewee
Patel, Narsi
June 28,
2000
Call Number
99-053
Physical Description
24 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 100 minutes; booklet
Indian Community at the Crossroads by
interviewee
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Narso Patel, a sociology professor at Indiana State University
currently residing in Terre Haute, Indiana, speaks of his life in India and the
United States. Professor Patel was born and raised in Gujarat, India to a
farming family. His family was involved in the Indian Independence Movement
when he was a young adult. Mr. Patel discusses his educational and work
background in India, where he was a teacher and a journalist, and his decision
to come to the United States to study sociology at the University of Kentucky.
After earning his PhD., he was appointed to a professorship at Indiana State
University and has remained there since. Professor Patel discusses his decision
to remain in America to raise his family. He talks about his childrens'
marriages: his daughter who is happily married to an American man, and his son
who got divorced from his Indian wife through an arranged marriage. Finally,
Professor Patel discusses his identity with India stemming from nostalgia, and
what he gained and lost by moving to the United States
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Benares Hindu University
- Indiana State University
- University of Kentucky
-
-
Occupation Names
- high school teacher
- journalist
- sociology professor
-
-
Place Names
- Gujarat, India
- Panama
- Terre Haute, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- citizenship
- dating customs
- divorce
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian Independence Movement
- journalism
- marriage customs
- naturalization
- religious beliefs
- subsistence farming
- Taste of India Restaurant
Interviewee
Raman, Jaishankar
July 13,
2002
Call Number
99-066
Physical Description
42 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Jaishankar Raman, born in 1966, discusses his family and early
life in Mumbai (Bombay), India, his education, his life in the United States,
the Indian-American community in Valparaiso, Indiana, and changes in India in
his lifetime.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Notre Dame University
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Occupation Names
- economics professor
-
-
Place Names
- Bombay, India
- New York, New York
- Pakistan
-
-
Subjects
- Carnatic music
- Diwali
- Hinduism
- Tamil culture
- Tamil language
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Ranganath, Manjula
May 19,
2000
Call Number
99-052
Physical Description
34 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 122 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Manjula Ranganath, who currently resides with her husband and
children in Columbus, Indiana, was born in Bangalore, India. She and her family
moved to the United States when she was 10 years old and settled in Richmond,
Virginia. Mrs. Ranganath discusses her childood in India, and making the move
to America and adjusting to American culture. She talks of her family's
struggles financially and the family-owned deli in downtown Richmond, which all
members of the family helped run. She talks about her traditional Indian
marriage to a doctor, who is also from Bangalore, which was arranged with the
halp of her father and a mutual family friend. She speaks of her identity as an
Indian-American and what it means to her. She discusses the ways she practices
aspects of her Indian heritagelike Hinduism, foodways, values, and dress, and
of her efforts to pass these traditions on to her children. Mrs. Ranganath
socializes with other Indians in Columbus, Indiana through events sponsored by
the Indian community association active there.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Virginia Commonwealth University
-
-
Place Names
- Bangalore, India
- Columbus, Indiana
- Richmond, Virginia
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Subjects
- acculturation
- citizenship
- family business
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian dance
- Indian educational system
- joint families
- marriage customs
- Montessori schools
- puja
Interviewee
Singh, Harpal
February 1,
2001
Call Number
99-055
Physical Description
25 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 45 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Henry, Robin
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. Singh discusses the
communities he has lived in including Chicago, Illinois, Houston, Texas, and
Crown Point, Indiana, and their respective Indian community activities. He
speaks of his religious beliefs in Sikhism, which he feels has grown stronger
since her immigrated to America. Finally, Mr. Singh talks about the Indian
values he holds important and he has tried to pass on to his children.
Harpal Singh, a Sikh priest who lives in Crown Point, Indiana,
was born in Punjab, India. He was raised in a joint family home in a rural
community. He quit school at an early age to help his father with the family
business. After getting married, he moved to the United States for greater
economic oppurtunities and has remained here since.
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Keywords
-
-
Occupation Names
- Sikh priest
- small business owner
-
-
Place Names
- Chicago, Illinois
- Crown Point, Indiana
- Houston, Texas
- Merillville, Indiana
- Punjab, India
-
-
Subjects
- Indian foodways
- Indian traditional dress
- joint families
- naturalization
- Sikhism
Interviewee
Singh, Moninder "Holly"
March 30,
2001
Call Number
99-057
Physical Description
28 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Henry, Robin
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Moninder "Holly" Singh, who currently resides in Valparaiso,
Indiana with his wife and two children, was born in Delhi, India to a Sikh
family who were refugees from Pakistan after the 1947 Partition. He speaks of
the influence his family had on him as he was growing up. He talks about the
impact of the Sikh Separatist Movement in the 1980s on his family's way of
living. After high school, Mr. Singh decided to earn a pilot's license, and
moved to the United States to attend a commericial flight school, however soon
after he arrived, the school went out of business, so Mr. Singh relocated to
New York State to try to earn money to attend another flight school. He then
got the oppurtunity to attend Valparaiso University on scholarship, where he
met his wife, who was also a student there. After she graduated, she worked
while he continued to take classes until she became pregnant. He then took over
her position and she decided to stay at home to raise a family. Mr. Singh
speaks of his work at the Valparaiso International Center. He speaks of the
challenges of having an interracial and inter-religious marriage, she being
Christian and he being Sikh. Mr. Singh finally speaks of his renewed interest
in Sikhism since moving to America.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Valparaiso University
-
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Occupation Names
- university administrator
-
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Place Names
- Dallas, Texas
- Delhi, India
- Merillville, Indiana
- New York
- Valparaiso, Indiana
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-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- airline piloting
- atomic bomb testing
- Gurudwara
- Indian community associations
- Indian national politics
- international politics
- interracial marriages
- national politics
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- racial discrimination
- religious beliefs
- Sikh Separatist Movement
- Sikhism
- study abroad programs
Interviewee
Suu, Mitoholi
April 27,
2001
Call Number
99-058
Physical Description
14 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 40 minutes; index
Interviewer:
Henry, Robin
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Miss Suu discusses her Nagamese
heritage and her religious beliefs. She also talks about the gains and losses
she has experiences by coming to the United States.
Mitoholi Suu, currently attending Valparaiso University in
Valparaiso, Indiana, grew up in Nagaland, India as a member of the Sema tribe.
Because of the poor educational system in Nagaland, Miss Suu attended boarding
schools in southern India through high school. She then decided to attend an
American university. Miss Suu enjoys living in America and plans to enter into
the western music industry upon graduation.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Place Names
- Nagaland, India
- Valparaiso, Indiana
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Subjects
- boarding school
- Indian Christians
- Indian educational system
- marriage customs
- Nagamese foodways
- Nagamese traditional dress
- religious beliefs
- Sema tribe
- Western music
