Indian-American Communities 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 Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
http://mediaschool.indiana.edu/cdrp/oral-history/
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleIndian-American Communities in the
Hoosier State, 1999-2000
Project No.
ohrc066
Interviews
12 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This project consists of Indian-American views of all aspects of life in the United
States and India. Most interviewed in this project were born in India and came to
America in search of better education, or because their spouse came for more
educational and business oppurtunities. They discuss their reasons for immigrating
to the United States, and their reasons for remaining to raise their children. They
talk about the ways they practice Indian traditions and values in an American
context and the importance of the larger Indian-American community in their lives.
They also discuss advantages and disadvantages of living in America, and what they
miss or don't miss about their homeland of India. Other topics discussed are
educational background, work history, religion and religious practice, and raising
children. 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 twelve interviews conducted over two years. The interviews range from 35 to 120 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 Documentary Research and Practice 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. 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. Audio files 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 audio 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 Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Anonymous November 11, 1999
Call Number
99-011
Physical Description
34 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index
Interviewer
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Restricted: Interviewee wishes to remain anonymous.
Scope and Content Note
During the interview anonymous spend some time discussing American and
Indian view of religion and the different ways the cultures practice
religion. She also discusses the racial discrimination she has encountered
in the Midwest that she never felt while living in Florida.
Anonymous, currently a student at Indiana University studying public health,
was born in Keralu, India and was raised in south Florida. Upon earning her
degree she plans on obtaining a position in a cancer research facility in
Florida in order to be near her family and to work with other Indian
Americans. Anonymous maintains strong ties to her Indian heritage, and hopes
to pass many of the values, traditions and customs she has learned from her
parents onto her children. Anonymous' family are Jacobite Christians and
anonymous currently attends St. Paul's Catholic Church in Bloomington,
Indiana.
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Keywords
-
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Corporation Names
- Indiana University
- University of Florida
-
-
Occupation Names
- behavioral scientist
- graduate student
-
-
Place Names
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Gainesville, Florida
- Hollywood, Florida
- Kerala, India
-
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Subjects
- cancer research
- Hinduism
- Indian Christians
- Jacobite Christianity
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- preventative healthcare
- public health
- racial discrimination
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Anonymous February 24, 2000
Call Number
99-021
Physical Description
26 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 70 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted; Interviewee is to remain anonymous. Scholars need to obtain
permission from interviewee prior to using interview in publication.
Scope and Content Note
The interviewee, born in 1959, was raised in an affluent family and community
in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. From childhood, she had an interest in
Eastern philosophy and religion and eventually did an MA and PhD in Zen
Buddhism. After receiving her MA, the interviewee married her husband, and
they spent several years in Bihar, India where he was employed by the state
and she worked as a professor of Buddhism and logic. During that time they
had two children. In 1990, the interviewee and her family moved to
Vancouver, British Columbia where she again taught Zen Buddhism and her
husband worked on his PhD. Presently, they live and work in Bloomington,
Indiana. The interviewee is an independent scholar and devotes much of her
time to researching Hindu and Buddhist female deities. Her husband, also a
PhD, is a professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. As they've
only spent a decade outside India, they still maintain many India-specific
traditions, speak Hindi in the home, maintain an Indian diet, and follow the
Hindu religion.
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Keywords
-
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Corporation Names
- Allahabad University
- Indiana University
- Indic Society
- University of British Columbia
-
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Occupation Names
- religious studies professor
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-
Place Names
- Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Bihar, India
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Terre Haute, Indiana
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
-
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Subjects
- Eastern philosophy
- Hindu goddess worship
- Hinduism
- Indian Independence Movement
- Indian politics
- Indian weddings
- marriage customs
- parenting philosophy
- racial discrimination
- Santoshi Mata (goddess)
- symbolic logic
- vegetarianism
- Western philosophy
- Zen Buddhism
Interviewee
Anonymous
March 15,
2000
Call Number
99-022
Physical Description
18 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted: Interviewee wishes to remain anonymous
Scope and Content Note
Anonymous discusses her experiences in India as a professional woman. She talks about
the difficulties of adjusting to live in American. She speaks of the ways she
has adapted to American culture and how she tries to incorporate Indian
activities into her American lifestyle.
Anonymous was born and raised in Hyderabad, India. After earning
a medical degree, she entered the profession in India, but she did not enjoy
it. On the encouragement of her family and friends she moved to Texas to
further he medical education and has remained in the United States ever since.
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Keywords
-
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Place Names
- Chicago, Illinois
- Hyderabad, India
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Portland, Oregon
- Texas
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Subjects
- Hinduism
- Indian medical profession
- Indian music
Interviewee
Bhatt, Jay January 11, 2000
Call Number
99-013
Physical Description
32 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
In the interview Mr. Bhatt talks about maintaining Indian traditions and
values in the United States, the compromises he has had to make, and the
differences between the ways Indians born in India and Indians who are born
in America identify with Indian culture.
Jay Bhatt, born 1975 in Elkhart, Indiana, is a first generation
Indian-American. He descends from a Gujarati family. Although he has visited
India five or six times, he does not really follow Indian "pop" culture,
such as Hindi film and music, He does profess a deep interest in Hinduism,
and identifies himself as a devout follower.
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Keywords
-
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Corporation Names
- Indiana University Asian Culture Center
- Indiana University Indian Student Association
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Place Names
- Ahmedabad, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Elkhart, Indiana
- Indianapolis, Indiana
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Subjects
- Dandia Ras
- dating customs
- Diwali
- Gujarati culture
- Hinduism
- immigration
- Indian student associations
Interviewee
Bhola, Harbans
January 28,
2000
Call Number
99-017
Physical Description
42 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index;
interviewer's notes
Interviewer
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Prof. Bhola talks about his children, and the different
ways they identify with Indian culture. Prof. Bhola discusses his plan to write
his memoirs after he retires, and to start writing fiction and poetry as he did
when he was younger.
Professor Harbans Bhola, an education professor at Indiana
University - Bloomington, was born and raised in Amritsar, India. He lists his
father, Gurdial Singh Bhola who was an attorney and religious studies scholar,
as the major influence on his life. Prof. Bhola has had a diverse career in the
field of education, travelling the world for organizations like UNESCO to set
up literacy programs.
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Keywords
-
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Corporation Names
- Indiana University
- UNESCO
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Occupation Names
- education professor
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Personal Names
- Bhola, Gurdial Singh
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Place Names
- Amritsar, India
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Delhi, India
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Subjects
- Indian legal profession
- joint families
- naturalization
- Punjabi culture
- Sikhism
Interviewee
Joshi, Ramesh December 6, 1999
Call Number
99-012
Physical Description
33 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index; interviewee's business
card
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steve
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ramesh Joshi was born and raised in the Punjab state in northwest India. One
of several brothers, Mr. Joshi was a member of a politically active family
during the Indian Independence Movement. His father, Diwan Chand Joshi, was
a spokesperson in Punjab for Independence. Ramesh Joshi earned an advanced
degree in sociology in Punjab and then taught for a short time at a
disadvantaged school near his home town. In 1971, Mr. Joshi married and
moved to the United States to earn a master's degree in rehabilitation.
While working at a variety of public administration jobs, Mr. Joshi had the
opportunity to raise money in the United States to help rebuild his high
school in his home town in India, which he is very proud of. Currently, Mr.
Joshi is a hotel business owner and is heavily involved in the Indian
American community in Indiana, community service activities in America and
India, his family, and his career.
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Keywords
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Corporation Names
- Gita Mandala
- Goodwill Industries
- Rotary Club
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Occupation Names
- hotel owner
- public administrator
- small business owner
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Personal Names
- Joshi, Darveen
- Joshi, Diwan Chand
- Joshi, Manu
- Joshi, Veenu
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Place Names
- Franklin, Indiana
- Mukerian, Punjab, India
- Ohio
- Punjab, India
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Subjects
- charity work
- dating customs
- Diwali
- hotel administration
- Indian community associations
- Indian dance
- Indian foodways
- Indian Independence Movement
- Indian music
- Indian politics
- Indian traditional dress
- local politics
- marriage customs
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- sociology
- vegetarianism
- volunteerism
Interviewee
Kapoor, J. M. January 18, 2000
Call Number
99-015
Physical Description
31 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Prof. Kapoor discusses the history of Indian immigrants in Indianapolis, Indiana,
and the different Indian community associations that have been in place over
the years.
J. M. Kapoor was born in Uttar Pradesh, India. After earning an undergraduate
and graduate degree in sociology in Lucknow, India, Prof. Kapoor was given
the opportunity to come to Michigan State University to conduct research. He
eventually was offered a job in Indianapolis and has remained there ever
since. Prof. Kapoor enjoys living in the United States, especially the
economic benefits, but does regret giving up his Indian citizenship and
plans to spend more time in India when he retires. Prof. Kapoor give some of
his American income back to social projects in India, mostly to fund health
care for poor people. Although Prof. Kapoor still maintains many Indian
traditions in America, he feels he did not work hard enough to pass those
traditions onto his children.
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Keywords
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Corporation Names
- Michigan State University
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Place Names
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Hyderabad, India
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Lucknow, India
- Uttar Pradesh, India
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Subjects
- charity work
- domestic help
- Gurudwara
- Hindu-Muslim conflict
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian Independence Movement
- joint families
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- philanthropy
- racial discrimination
- social work
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Khandelwal, Manjula; Khandewal, Pramod January 19, 2000
Call Number
99-016
Physical Description
50 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 112 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Manjula and Pramod Khandelwal talk about the ways they maintain Indian traditions in America. The
family is active in the Indianapolis Indian community association, and Mrs.
Khandewal is a practicing Hindu. They also discuss the changes they see
occurring in the Indian population within Indianapolis as it grows
larger.
Manjula and Pramod Khandelwal, both born in Agra, India, came to the United
States in the late 1960s and have settled in Indianapolis, Indiana. The
Khandelwals discuss their reasons for remaining in America, mostly because
they feel India has become unsafe and unclean since they immigrated.
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Keywords
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Corporation Names
- Brebeuf Preparatory School
- University of Washington
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Place Names
- Agra, India
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Newark, New Jersey
- Seattle, Washington
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Subjects
- acculturation
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian Independence Movement
- Indian politics
- joint families
- marriage customs
- parenting philosophy
- racial discrimination
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Krishnan, Viswanath
February 21,
2000
Call Number
99-020
Physical Description
14 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 35 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Open
Scope and Content Note
Viswanath Krishnan, a computer science major at Indiana
University, Bloomington, was born and raised in India. He speaks of his
decision to come to the United States to study, and his plans to work after
graduation to save enough money to earn a master's degree and return to India.
He discusses the relationship between Indian-born Indians and American-born
Indians, and the difficulties of having an Indian student association that
serves both groups. He also speaks of Indiana University's India Student
Associations's relationship to other international campus groups.
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Keywords
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Corporation Names
- Indiana University
- Indiana University Asian Student Union
- Indiana University Indian Student Association
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-
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Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Delhi, India
- Kerala, India
- Madras, India
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Subjects
- computer science
- extracurricular activities
- international students
Interviewee
Panchal, Nina; Panchel, Vipul January 12, 2000
Call Number
99-014
Physical Description
33 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 70 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. Panchal discusses being a minority and the racial discrimination he
experiences from his peers in school. The couple discuss the ways they try
to bland their Indian heritage with their American lifestyle, and their
relationship with their parents, who they feel are more traditional than
they are.
Nina and Vipul Panchal, born in 1972 and 1971, are Indian-Americans who met
in medical school and have settled in Indianapolis, Indiana. Nina, born and
raised in Elkhart, Indiana, discusses being an Indian child in an American
context. Her parents forbade dating and sports activities and encouraged her
to focus heavily on academics, especially science and medicine. Vipul,
although born in India, was raised mostly in Detroit, Michigan.
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Keywords
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Occupation Names
- physician
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Place Names
- Chicago, Illinois
- Detroit, Michigan
- Elkhart, Indiana
- Indianapolis, Indiana
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Subjects
- dating customs
- Hinduism
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- marriage customs
- patriarchal societies
- racial discrimination
Interviewee
Pratap, Siddharth
February 11,
2000
Call Number
99-018
Physical Description
21 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Siddharth Pratap was born in Babares, India in 1972 and moved to
the United States when he was four. Mr. Pratap discusses his educational
background in different cities in America, since the family moved around a lot
when he was growing up. He started his undergraduate education in Georgia where
he met his future wife. He then transferred to Indiana University -
Bloomington, partially to be near his parents, who had moved to Indiana.
Currently he and his wife are living in Nashville, Tennessee where he is
pursuing a PhD. in biology. Mr. Pratap discusses his feelings of embarrassment
as a child of Indian traditions, that he says has changed to interest as a
young adult. He speaks of his marriage in India, which was a double ceremony,
since his family is Hindu and his wife's is Indian Christian. Mr. Pratap also
discusses the importance of passing on an appreciation of Indian culture to his
children in the future.
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Keywords
-
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Corporation Names
- Indiana University
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Place Names
- Benares, India
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Subjects
- Hinduism
- Indian Christians
- Indian community associations
- Indian weddings
- racial discrimination
Interviewee
Tumuluri, Vidyasagar
February 11,
2000
Call Number
99-019
Physical Description
31 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Dr. Tumuluri discusses his involvement in the Indian
Association of Indianapolis, and his work establishing a Telugu association his
native language. He discusses his children and the ways he has tried to pass on
values and traditions that are important to him. He also speaks of his reasons
for remaining in the United States to raise his family.
Dr. Vidyasagar Tumuluri was born and raised in Andhra Pradesh,
India. He attended medical school in India, and in the late 1960s came to the
United States for further study. His first residency was in Rhode Island, where
he first stayed with a host family to help acclimate him to America. He
eventually moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and is currently living in Carmel as
a practicing hand surgeon.
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Keywords
-
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Corporation Names
- Carmel High School
- Educational Commission of Foreign Medical
Graduates
- India Association of Indianapolis
- Telugu Association, Indianapolis
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Occupation Names
- hand surgeon
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Place Names
- Andhra Pradesh, India
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Newport, Rhode Island
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Subjects
- exchange families
- Indian community associations
- Indian dance
- Indian music
- medical school
- parenting philosophy
- vegetarianism