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 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 Diaspora in the Hoosier
State, 1999-2000
Project No.
ohrc068
Interviews
21 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, 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 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
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
36 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes; index
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
25 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index
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
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Occupation Names
- university administrator
-
-
Place Names
- Dallas, Texas
- Delhi, India
- Merillville, Indiana
- New York
- Valparaiso, Indiana
-
-
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.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Valparaiso University
-
-
Place Names
- Nagaland, India
- Valparaiso, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- boarding school
- Indian Christians
- Indian educational system
- marriage customs
- Nagamese foodways
- Nagamese traditional dress
- religious beliefs
- Sema tribe
- Western music