Indian American Community in Fort Wayne, 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 Community in Fort
Wayne, 1999-2000
Project No.
ohrc067
Interviews
18 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
The Indian American Community in Fort Wayne interviews focus on those Indian persons
who have either permanently or temporarily made Fort Wayne, Indiana their home.
These people have moved to Fort Wayne mostly for job-related purposes but have
stayed on for other reasons: the excellent education system, the nice environment,
and friendly community. The interviewees, some of whom were born here or have spent
most of their lives here, share a common respect for Indian religious and social
customs, diet, and language. These interviews thus provide keen insight into the
ways Indian Americans shape their lives in the American context and how they combine
Indian and American culture. 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 eighteen interviews conducted over two years. The interviews range from 45 to 165 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
March 15,
2000
Call Number
99-040
Physical Description
36 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 148 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted: Interviewee wishes to remain anonymous
Scope and Content Note
The interviwee discusses his cultural identity as an Indian Muslim and a member
of the Bohra community. He talks about his sons and their achievements, and his
efforts to impart Indian values and traditions that he feels are important. He
discusses the reasons he had chosen to remain in the United States, among them
being religious discrimination against Muslims in India, greater economic
opportunity in America, and what he refers to as the "ease of living" in
America as opposed to India. He also discusses the ways he tries to follow
Indian customs in America.
A business professor at Indiana University-Purdue University
Fort Wayne this interviewee was born in Surat, India and grew up in Bombay,
India. His undergraduate education was completed in Bombay at St. Xavier's
College, after which he worked in his father's business for two months.
However, he was quickly disillusioned and started his own small business. He
then attended the Indian Institute of Management and earned the United States
equivalent of an M.B.A. He was then offered a place at Indiana University
School of Business in Bloomington, Indiana to pursue a doctoral degree. In 1968
he moved to Indiana, with his wife following soon after and they have remained
ever since.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Eigenmann Hall
- Indian Institute of Management
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort
Wayne
- Indiana University School of Business
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Sangam
-
-
Occupation Names
- business professor
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Bombay, India
- Calcutta, India
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Surat, India
-
-
Subjects
- Dawoodi Bohra community
- family business
- golf
- Gujarati culture
- Hindu-Muslim conflict
- Indian attorneys
- Indian educational system
- Indian Muslim culture
- Indian private schools
- Islam
- magnet schools
- marriage customs
- parenting philosophy
- religious discrimination
- tennis
Interviewee
Anonymous October 5, 1999
Call Number
99-025
Physical Description
21 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted; Interviewee is to remain anonymous.
Scope and Content Note
The interviewee discusses the cultural changes he has observed in America
since he has been here, especially in regards to racial discrimination he
has experienced over the years. The interviewee also spends time contrasting
Indian and American culture.
The interviewee, a seismologist at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort
Wayne, was born in pre-partition Calcutta, India, and came to the United
States in 1969 to pursue graduate studies, receiving a PhD in geophysics
from Texas A&M University. After receiving his degree, the
interviewee went back to India to work for the government and get married.
He then came to Canada for post-doctoral work, worked for some time in Texas
and settled with his wife and two sons in Fort Wayne. Now that his sons have
grown and left the home, the interviewee and his wife devote much of their
free time to spiritual pursuits. They meditate on a daily basis, practice
Kriya Yoga, and read books on Hindu spirituality. The interviewee claims
that spirituality has helped him relax. He also discusses the ways he has
tried to pass Indian traditions, both cultural and religious, on to his
children.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indian Institute of Technology
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Sangam
- Texas A&M University
-
-
Occupation Names
- geophysics professor
- seismologist
-
-
Place Names
- Bangladesh
- Calcutta, India
- Canada
- East Bengal, India
- Texas
-
-
Subjects
- earthquake research
- geological research funding
- grant writing
- gurus
- Hindu temples
- Hinduism
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian traditional dress
- Kriya Yoga
- multilingualism
- national politics
- naturalization
- racial discrimination
- spirituality
Interviewee
Anonymous April 29, 2000
Call Number
99-043
Physical Description
40 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted; Interviewees are to remain anonymous.
Scope and Content Note
The interviewees discuss the different ways their children have reacted to
thier Indian heritage, and the ways they have tried to pass on the values
and customs that are important to them.
The interviewee, who was born and raised in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India, and
his wife, born in 1949 and raised in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, were
married in 1965. He came to the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago
in 1969 to pursue a master's degree in automobile engineering. He then went
worked for GM, received an MBA from the University of Detroit, worked for
Volvo in North Carolina and presently works for Navistar in Fort Wayne where
he has been happily employed since 1987. She recieved her four-year degree
and computer science degree in the United States, is employed by IBM. The
interviewees enjoy the economic, social and educational benefits of living
in the United States but miss friends, family and many cultural aspects of
India, and thus are considering returning to India upon retirement.
Regardless, they travel frequently to India, maintain their Hindu faith,
mother tongue, participate in local community events, and integrate American
and Indian traditions into their daily lives.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- General Motors Corporation
- IBM Corporation
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
- Navistar International Corporation
- University of Detroit
- Volvo Group
-
-
Occupation Names
- automotive engineer
- computer programmer
-
-
Place Names
- Bangalore, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Detroit, Michigan
- Madras, India
- Oriville, North Carolina
- Rhode Island
-
-
Subjects
- caste system
- citizenship
- Hinduism
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- international travel
- marriage customs
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- puja
- racial discrimination
- spirituality
- Tamil culture
Interviewee
Anonymous
April 11,
2001
Call Number
99-042
Physical Description
35 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 76 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted; Interviewees are to remain anonymous.
Scope and Content Note
The interviewees were born in 1968 in Calcutta and in 1969 in
Madhya Pradesh, India, respectively, and are native Bengali speakers. They
received their BS and MS degrees at Jabalpur University, married in 1994, and
shortly thereafter had their son. For work purposes, they lived in England for
a few years and then moved to Fort Wayne in 1998. Presently they are not
certain if the will stay permanently in the United States because they are
quite close to their respective families in India, especially their elderly
parents. One of the interviewees works as a consultant for International
Harvester Company, is concerned about how his son will grow up in the United
States and worries that he will become too "Americanized." The couple considers
themselves "conservative Indians," meaning that they adhere to certain orthodox
religious and social customs that are particular to India. They often converse
in Bengali, wear traditional dress, participate in Sangam, visit India as often
as possible and try to instill a respect for India and its customs in their
son. It is very important to them that they be able to maintain this type of
lifestyle if they decide to stay permanently in the United States.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Hewlett-Packard Company
- International Harvester Company
- Sangam
-
-
Occupation Names
- homemaker
- project consultant
-
-
Place Names
- Calcutta, India
- England
- Madhya Pradesh, India
- Saudi Arabia
-
-
Subjects
- bindi
- dating customs
- Hinduism
- Holi
- immigration
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- Indian traditional dress
- multilingualism
- parenting philosophy
- servant's duties
- visas
Interviewee
Anonymous
November 19,
1999
Call Number
99-033
Physical Description
50 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 165 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Restricted: Interviewees wish to remain anonymous.
Scope and Content Note
The interviewees discuss their lives in India and the United
States. They both grew up in and around Bangalore, India and were both educated
there. They moved to the United States initially for his career and have since
decided to remain in America to raise their family. They compare their families
in India, where both of them lived in extended family households, to their
nuclear family lifestyle in America. They discuss the importance of religion
and spirituality in their lives and the ways they have tried to pass these
values on to their children. They discuss the initial difficulty they had in
adjusting to life in the United States, especially the technology, which
greatly differs from India. Finally, the couple describe the importance of
Sangam, the Indian community association in Fort Wayne, in their lives, and the
differences between Indian culture as it is practiced in the United States and
in India.
-
Keywords
-
-
-
Occupation Names
- homemaker
- mechanical engineer
- program analyst
-
-
Place Names
- Bangalore, India
- Bombay, India
-
-
Subjects
- ashram
- Brahmin caste
- caste system
- Gandhi assassination
- Gita
- Gujarati culture
- Indian dance
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- Indian Independence Movement
- Indian music
- marriage customs
- multilingualism
- parenting philosophy
- religious traditions
Interviewee
Chakravorty, Pradeep November 14, 1999
Call Number
99-031
Physical Description
30 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. Chakravorty talks of his efforts to teach his children Bengali, his
native language, and pass on Indian traditions and values. He outlines his
involvement in Sangam, the Fort Wayne, Indiana Indian community association,
and a Bengali association. He discusses the differences of running a
business in America and India, and the advantages and disadvantages of
living in America as opposed to India, and his decision to become an
American citizen and raise his family here.
Pradeep Chakravorty, a foundry manager at Amcast Auto in Fort Wayne, Indiana,
was born and raised in Bombay, India. Born the son of a famous Hindi film
director, Chakravorty had an affluent and privileged childhood and young
adulthood. After attending Indiana Institute of Technology for his
undergraduate education, he went back to Bombay and married, came back to
the U.S., and worked and lived with his wife in Chicago where they had their
first child. Thereafter, they returned to Bombay so that Mr. Chakravorty
could start up his own engineering company, and after having two more
children, they returned to the United States, after his company ultimately
failed. Presently, he and his family live in Fort Wayne.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Amcast Automotive
- General Motors Corporation
- Indiana Institute of Technology
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Sangam
- Taste of India Restaurant
-
-
Occupation Names
- automobile manufacturer
- engineering supervisor
- foundry manager
- restaurant owner
-
-
Personal Names
- Chakravorty, Primod
-
-
Place Names
- Bombay, India
- Calcutta, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Gas City, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- Bengali culture
- computer science
- Diwali
- Dussera
- education
- Hindi culture
- Hindi films
- immigration
- Indian automobile manufacture
- Indian community associations
- Indian film
- Indian foodways
- Indian traditional dress
- leisure activities
- marriage customs
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- overpopulation
- parenting philosophy
- student visas
Interviewee
Chakravorty, Sharmila November 14, 1999
Call Number
99-032
Physical Description
36 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; index
Interviewer
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Sharmila Chakravorty was born in 1959 and was raised in an affluent family in
Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Shortly after beginning her BA in History, she
met and married Pradeep Chakravorty and moved to Bombay. After a brief move
to Chicago, Illinois, the couple returned with their first child to Bombay
where he worked and she completed her BA. Eight years later, in 1988, the
Chakravortys returned to the United States with their children and settled
eventually in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Presently, Sharmila Chakravorty works
part-time as a customer service representative and is working towards an
associates's degree in business. Outside of work, she is quite involved in
her children's lives, maintains extremely close ties with friends and family
in India, and continues to speak Bengali and upkeep her Hindu values and
customs at home and in the larger community. She also describes racial
discrimination she had encountered while working in customer service and the
religious persecution her daughter has suffered being a practicing Hindu.
Mrs. Chakravorty compares life in big and small cities in India and the
United States.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Sangam
- University of Bombay
-
-
Occupation Names
- customer service representative
-
-
Personal Names
- Chakravorty, Primod
- Tagore, Rabindranath
-
-
Place Names
- Bangladesh
- Bombay, India
- Calcutta, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Joplin, Missouri
-
-
Subjects
- Bengali culture
- Diwali
- Hindi films
- Hinduism
- Holi
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- Indian dance
- Indian educational system
- Indian film
- Indian foodways
- Indian music
- Indian traditional dress
- marriage customs
- poverty
- puja
- racial discrimination
- religious discrimination
Interviewee
Dhawale, Shree January 26, 2000
Call Number
99-038
Physical Description
31 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 87 minutes; index
Interviewer
Hickey, M. Gail
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
In this interview, Dhawale speaks frankly about discrimination that she and
her son, Ravi, have faced, his recent engagement to a fellow Indian medical
student, her vegetarian diet, commitment to Indian customs, and frequent
travel to India.
Shree Dhawale, an associate biology professor at Indiana University-Purdue
University Fort Wayne, came to the United States in 1972 with her husband
who was at that time pursuing a PhD. She was born and raised in Madhya
Pradesh in East Central India. She and her husband spent several years in
New York, Maryland, and Ohio, where she earned her PhD, before settling with
their son in Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
-
-
Occupation Names
- biology professor
-
-
Place Names
- Columbus, Ohio
- Madhya Pradesh, India
- Maryland
- New York, New York
-
-
Subjects
- caste system
- dowry
- Hinduism
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- Indian weddings
- marriage customs
- parenting philosophy
- puja
- racial discrimination
- vegetarianism
- zoology
Interviewee
Dixit, Prachi December 11, 1999
Call Number
99-036
Physical Description
24 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 70 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mrs. Dixit speaks of the differences of living and raising children in India
and America. She also speaks of her traditional Indian wedding and the
dowry, and contrasts them with American wedding customs.
Prachi Dixit, born in 1962, came to the United States as a bride in 1984. She
spent two years in Boston, Massachusetts, a year in Bloomington, Indiana,
and then ten years in South Bend, Indiana where her husband, Sunil, earned
his PhD. While there, the Dixits had children and Prachi worked in day care
and as a Kathak dance teacher. She and her family maintain very close ties
to Indian and Hindu traditions. They are practicing vegetarians, participate
frequently in Indian community-wide activities, and travel often to India to
visit her family.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Whispering Meadows School
-
-
Occupation Names
- Kathak dance instructor
- preschool teacher
-
-
Place Names
- Agra, India
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Boston, Massachusetts
- New Delhi, India
- South Bend, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- acculturation
- birth ceremonies
- caste system
- dating customs
- dowry
- gift registry
- Hinduism
- Indian dance
- Indian music
- Indian weddings
- Kathak dance
- marriage customs
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- racial discrimination
- singing
- vegetarianism
- yoga
Interviewee
Dixit, Sunil December 11, 1999
Call Number
99-037
Physical Description
32 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Dr. Sunil Dixit speaks of his interests in Hinduism and the misconceptions
that is associated with practicing Hinduism.
Dr. Sunil Dixit, born in Uttar Pradesh, India, came to the United States in
1964 when he was eight years old. He spent his early teenage years in Texas
and later teenage years in Berkelely, CA, where he began his undergraduate
schooling. He finished his degree at Louisiana State University, went to MIT
for two years, and Notre Dame for his PhD work in physics. Dixit, his wife,
and two children maintain a vegetarian diet, and follow Indian value systems
in an American context. Though Dixit has not visited India since 1995, his
wife and family visit frequently.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Ford Motor Company
- Indiana University Cyclotron Facility
- Raytheon Company
- Sangam
-
-
Occupation Names
- grocery store manager
- nuclear physicist
- software engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Agra, India
- Austin, Texas
- Berkeley, California
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Louisiana
- Martinsville, Indiana
- South Bend, Indiana
- Uttar Pradesh, India
-
-
Subjects
- acculturation
- caste system
- Brahmin caste
- gurus
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- marriage customs
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- physics
- racial discrimination
- theoretical physics
- vegetarianism
Interviewee
Gangadhar, Meera October 23, 1999
Call Number
99-029
Physical Description
44 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes; index
Interviewer
Margolin, Amy
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Meera Gangadhar, born in 1953 in Vancouver, Canada, was raised in Karnataka,
India. Though she did an advanced degree in the sciences, Mrs. Gangadhar did
not pursue it as a profession. Presently, she lives in Fort Wayne with her
husband and teenage son. Her two daughters are on the East Coast attending
Ivy League colleges and preparing for medical school. Mrs. Gangadhar devotes
most of her time to her children, but also maintains various Hindu religious
rituals, talking specifically about how Hinduism is not merely a religious
notion but a part of one's daily life. Also important to her are the foods
and festivals of South India and her frequent visits to India. She also
discusses the benefits as she sees them of raising a family in American as
opposed to India. She speaks of her efforts to maintain Indiana cultural and
religious traditions in America, the Hindu community in Fort Wayne and other
places she has lived, and cultural difference she has noticed between India
and the United States.
-
Keywords
-
-
-
Occupation Names
- homemaker
- substitute teacher
-
-
Place Names
- Bangalore, India
- Binghamton, New York
- Canada
- Chicago, Illinois
- Dharwad, India
- Karnataka, India
- South Bend, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- astrology
- Diwali
- Hinduism
- Holi
- horoscopes
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- Indian film
- Indian foodways
- Indian traditional dress
- international news coverage
- international travel
- jyotish
- marriage customs
- parenting philosophy
- puja
- racial discrimination
- Shaivism
- vegetarianism
- yoga
Interviewee
Gangadhar, R. October 23, 1999
Call Number
99-028
Physical Description
30 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Dr. Gangadhar discusses his love of the medical field, and how practicing
medicine in India and the United States differs. He speaks of his
involvement in Sangam, the Fort Wayne, Indiana Indian community association.
Finally, he outlines the advantages of living in America and raising his
children here.
Dr. R. Gangadhar, a pathologist at Parkview Hospital, was born in April, 1945
in Bangalore, India. Gangadhar came to South Bend in 1971 to do his
residency in medicine, moved to Texas and finally, in 1976, came back to
Indiana and has been there ever since. Dr. Gangadhar has three children, two
of whom are already planning on following in his footsteps. He and his
family often travel to India and participate in local Indian American
functions. He discusses his parenting philosophy and his attempts to teach
his children Kannadar, his native language.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Bangalore Medical College
- Parkview Hospital
- Sangam
- Texas Medical Center
-
-
Occupation Names
- pathologist
-
-
Place Names
- Bangalore, India
- Binghamton, New York
- Canada
- Columbus, Ohio
- Karnataka, India
- South Bend, Indiana
- Texas
-
-
Subjects
- capitalism
- dairy farming
- Diwali
- family business
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian medical profession
- Indian professional schools
- local politics
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- socialism
Interviewee
Ghosh, Bipasha; Ghosh, Sudip October 20, 1999
Call Number
99-027
Physical Description
27 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. and Mrs. Ghosh discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in
India and America, and the factors they are considering in regards of making
a permanent residence in the United States or returning to India.
Sudip Ghosh is from Assam but raised in Bombay, and Bipasha, his wife, is
from Calcutta, India. Both call Bengali their native tongue. The Ghoshes did
graduate work in the United States, at Michigan State University and Ohio
State University. Thereafter they came to Fort Wayne where Sudip works as an
electrical engineer and Bipasha works as a developmental engineer, both for
General Electric. The Ghoshes, though not particularly politically or
socially active, agree that the United States' news coverage of India is
poor. They maintain Bengali as their primary language, participate in Sangam
functions, enjoy Indian classical music.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Bengali Association of Chicago
- General Electric Company
- Robert Bosch Corporation
- Sangam
-
-
Occupation Names
- developmental engineer
- electrical engineer
-
-
Place Names
- Akron, Ohio
- Assam, India
- Bombay, India
- Budapest, Hungary
- Calcutta, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Detroit, Michigan
- Gujarat, India
-
-
Subjects
- acculturation
- American media
- atomic bomb testing
- customer service
- Diwali
- harmonium
- Hinduism
- Holi
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- Indian music
- Indian politics
- Indian traditional dress
- Internet
- local politics
- multilingualism
- physics
Interviewee
Lingaraj, B.P. April 11, 2000
Call Number
99-041
Physical Description
17 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 45 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Dr. Lingaraj, a professor of business administration at Indiana
University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, was born in 1940 and raised in
Bangalore, India. He came to the United States in 1962 for graduate studies,
first in Kansas and then at the University of Pittsburgh. After teaching for
four years at Marquette University, he went back to India for a time during
which he married. He and his wife returned to the United States in 1978, but
in 1987 his wife and children returned to India for six years to take care
of his ailing parents. He feels those years in India gave his children a
distinct advantage, in that upon returning to the United States, they were
more capable in the classroom and better connected to their native
linguistic and cultural traditions. Although his family enjoys living in the
United States and actively participates in Indian American community-wide
events, Lingaraj and his wife plan to move back to India when they reach
retirement age.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Sangam
-
-
Occupation Names
- business administration professor
-
-
Place Names
- Bangalore, India
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Rochester, New York
- Topeka, Kansas
- Wisconsin
-
-
Subjects
- Diwali
- Hinduism
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- local politics
- mechanical engineering
Interviewee
Mantravadi, Meena December 11, 1999
Call Number
99-034
Physical Description
33 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index
Interviewer
Hickey, Gail
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Meena Mantravadi, a homemaker in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was born in Madras,
Tamil Nadu, India into a family of intellectuals and musicians, and thus she
had a privileged childhood. While doing her master's degree in English
literature, she met and married her husband who was working in Dublin,
Ireland at the time. They came together to Chicago, Illinois so that he
could do his medical residency. Thereafter they settled in Fort Wayne where
they raised their three boys. Mantravadi is very proud of her sons and
devotes a large part of the interview to discussing their education,
independence, and linguistic skills. The Mantravadis are observant Hindus
and have had an auditorium and altar built in their house so as to
facilitate Hindu lectures and devotional meetings. Mrs. Mantravadi claims
that except for certain cultural losses, she is able to practice her
religion and maintain customs just as easily here as in India. She also
speaks of the Indian community in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the activities
she participates in.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- American National Bank
- Benares Hindu University
- Canterbury School, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Theosophical Society
- Unitarian Church
-
-
Occupation Names
- homemaker
-
-
Personal Names
- Besant, Annie
- Montessori, Maria
-
-
Place Names
- Chicago, Illinois
- Madras, India
-
-
Subjects
- crisis management
- dating customs
- Diwali
- family traditions
- family values
- Hinduism
- Indian educational system
- Indian foodways
- Indian music
- Indian traditional dress
- Indian weddings
- marriage customs
- Montessori schools
- multilingualism
- parenting philosophy
- veena
Interviewee
Mantravadi, R. V. Prasad, Dr. December 11, 1999
Call Number
99-035
Physical Description
34 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Dr. R. V. Prasad Mantravadi, a radiation oncologist and Indiana University
School of Medicine faculty member, was born in 1945 in Andhra Pradesh,
India. In 1972, Mantravadi, having completed his M.D., went to Dublin,
Ireland to further his training, and then travelled to the University of
Illinois where he completed his final year of residence. Dr. Mantravadi and
his wife spent several years in Chicago before moving to Fort Wayne with
their three sons. In raising his children, Dr. Mantravadi has emphasized the
importance of education and spiritual life. He has demonstrated this
importance by sending his children to private schools and taking the entire
family on yearly Hindu-based retreats. He also contrasts his childhood in
India to the childhood his sons have had in the United States. He speaks of
his involvement in Sangam, the Indian community association in Fort Wayne,
Indiana, and his desire to see Indian Americans participate in more
community service.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Canterbury School
- Fort Wayne African American Cancer Alliance
- Fort Wayne Bhajan Society
- Indiana University School of Medicine
- Royal Marsden Hospital
- Sangam
- University of Illinois School of Medicine
-
-
Occupation Names
- medical professor
- radiation oncologist
-
-
Place Names
- Andhra Pradesh, India
- Chicago, Illinois
- Dublin, Ireland
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Madhya Pradesh, India
- Orissa, India
-
-
Subjects
- Bhajan culture
- cricket
- Diwali
- foster parents
- gurus
- hazing rituals
- Hinduism
- Indian educational system
- medical education
- medical research
- Montessori schools
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
- private schools
- public schools
- puja
- racial discrimination
- radiology
- soccer
- spirituality
- Telugu
- vegetarianism
- volunteerism
Interviewee
Pathak, Sunit; Pathak, Koruna October 30, 1999
Call Number
99-030
Physical Description
69 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 95 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Mr. and Mrs. Pathak discuss the challenges of adapting to American culture
and their reasons for remaining long term in America.
Sunit and Koruna Pathak live with their 10 year old son in Fort Wayne where
Sunit works in the computer software industry and Koruna works in the travel
industry. Sunit was born and raised in Calcutta, West Bengal but did his
undergraduate and graduate work in the United States. Koruna was born and
raised in Malaysia, but received her college education in Calcutta. The
Pathaks are very attached to their Indian and Malaysian heritage. The family
makes it a point to visit their families as often as possible, to speak some
Bengali with their son, and follow Indian custom and value systems in their
home in Indiana. They also speak of the importance of Indian community
associations, especially Sangam in Fort Wayne.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Calcutta University
- Sangam
- United Airlines
- University of Georgia
- University of Texas
-
-
Occupation Names
- computer software developer
- newspaper editor
- teacher
- travel agent
-
-
Place Names
- Amarillo, Texas
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Calcutta, India
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Denver, Colorado
- East Bengal, India
- Georgia
- Houston, Texas
- Los Angeles, California
- Malaysia
- Santa Barbara, California
- Ventura, California
-
-
Subjects
- boarding school
- British colonialism
- extended family
- Hinduism
- immigration
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- international travel
- Malaysian Bengalis
- marriage customs
- multilingualism
- naturalization
- parenting philosophy
Interviewee
Usman, Sushil
March 15,
2000
Call Number
99-039
Physical Description
28 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 100 minutes; index
Interviewer
Sheehan, Steven
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Sushil Usman was born in Agra, India and was raised and schooled
in Lucknow, India. When he was still young, his father converted from the
Muslim faith to Christianity and became a Methodist minister. He speaks of his
chosen career in sociology, and his career path which led him first to the
University of Minnesota and finally in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He speaks of
upbringing as a Christian, which he describes as very strict. He speaks of the
adjustments he has had to make living in the United States. He talks about his
marriage and his children, and the values and traditions he has tried to pass
on to them. He also discusses the Indian community associations he has been
involved in over the years, especially Sangam and the Sangam Charitable
Foundation in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Sangam
- Sangam Charitable Foundation
- University of Minnesota
-
-
Occupation Names
- social worker
- sociology professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Rose, Arnold
-
-
Place Names
- Agra, India
- Lucknow, India
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
-
-
Subjects
- 1947 Partition
- dating customs
- glass ceiling
- Indian Christians
- Indian community associations
- Indian educational system
- Indian independence
- Malkana Indians
- Methodist church
- parenting philosophy
- racial discrimination