Desi Oral History Takes Shape At Indiana U By Francis C. Assisi

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According to M. Gail Hickey, professor of education at IU, “the growing presence of Asian Indians here and elsewhere in the U.S., and the diversity of their experiences, calls for new study and interpretive techniques that can suitably capture their memories and preserve their experiences.”

The project consists of Indian-American views of all aspects of life in the United States and India which was collected between 1998 and 2002. 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 opportunities. 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.

Traditionally, scholars studied American immigration history through the use of ships' passenger lists, federal statistics and, where available, documents, diaries, letters, and other memoirs. During the lifetimes of contemporary immigrants, however, the ready availability of telephones, fax machines, and e-mail has made letter writing and the keeping of diaries almost a lost art. Fortunately, oral history provides a way to access contemporary immigrants' narratives about their experience. Such primary sources represent nothing less than history in the making—firsthand accounts captured at a distinct moment in the acculturation process—that may prove vital to historians and other researchers later attempting to understand the larger picture of American immigration and assimilation.

Allesandro Portelli commends oral-history research for its firsthand insights into people's interpretations of their personal and historical experiences. Donald Ritchie says oral history may well be the modern substitute for the written memoir. Numerous scholars address oral history's capacity to document vital information about memory, culture, class, race, ethnicity, gender, and power. In brief, today's social research is tomorrow's historical documentation.

Unfortunately, unlike South Asians in Britain, American Desis have lagged far behind in assembling an oral history database - except for a small attempt at the University of North Carolina and the Minnesota Historical Society.

Oral history interviewing is one more tool in the larger repertoire of anyone interested in history, anthropology, and folklore. It collects information about the past from observers and participants in that past. It gathers data not available in written records about events, people, decisions, and processes. Oral history interviews are grounded in memory, and memory is a subjective instrument for recording the past, always shaped by the present moment and the individual psyche. Oral history can reveal how individual values and actions shaped the past, and how the past shapes present-day values and actions

Today second generation Desi children enrolled in U.S. schools are confronted daily by the duality between their parents' birth culture and the host culture. How they cope with this duality is one of the questions explored in the Indiana University research project involving oral history interviews with approximately 80 Asian Indians in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Fort Wayne.

"We were interested in the ethnic background and expectations of Indian American parents and how these shape the parents' interactions with their children enrolled in U.S. schools," Hickey explained. "We believe this documentation of life experiences for first- and second-generation Indian Americans can help teachers and others who work with these students and their families."

She said education in the United States, compared to India, was viewed as offering more opportunities and incentives for females, a wider range of academic and career choices, and a greater emphasis on individual freedom. Differences between first-generation Indian American parents and their adult children reflected differences in family roles and expectations, child rearing, parental authority, religious training, extended childhood, dating customs and arranged marriages.

"Gender relations within U.S. school and social contexts were viewed by both Asian Indian males and females as detrimental to their daughters' opportunities for finding a suitable husband, especially in families where arranged marriages are the norm," Hickey said. "Many interviewees believed marriage and/or employment for both genders should be postponed until all formal schooling is completed," she added.

Hickey's interest in how differing world views affect the way individuals experience schooling resulted in her using the Asian Indian findings for a presentation titled "Exploring Cultural Models of Schooling: Oral History Interviews with Asian Indian Immigrants" at an American Educational Research Association conference.

She said the oral history format was well suited for this project "because it offers insight into people's interpretation of their personal and historical experiences." The IU Center for the Study of History and Memory, formerly the Oral History Research Center, has been collecting oral histories since 1968 from Hoosiers and other Midwest residents.

The project was supported by an Indiana University Intercampus Research Grant, two grants from the Indiana Humanities Council and a Clio Grant from the Indiana Historical Society.

SOME INTERVIEWEE SUMMARIES

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. 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.

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. 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.

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. He discusses the history of Indian immigrants in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the different Indian community associations that have been in place over the years

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. They 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.

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.

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. He discusses being a minority and the racial discrimination he experiences from his peers in school. The couple discusses 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.

Siddharth Pratap was born in Banaras, 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.

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. 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.

Anonymous, currently a student at Indiana University studying public health, was born in Kerala, 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. During the interview she 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.

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.

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.

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 involvement 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.

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 describes 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.

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 eventually 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 importance of Sikhism in her life as she gets older.

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 commercial 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 opportunity 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.

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. 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.

Jaswant Gidda, a pharmaceutical researcher at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, was born and raised in Punjab, India. He grew up in a poor family and worked very hard to attend college. After nearly completing his PhD, he earned a scholarship in a university in Texas for pharmaceutical research. He then got a position at Harvard Medical School, but found that he was not able to do as much research as he would like because he spent most of his time looking for grants to fund research. He decided to go into the private sector, got a position at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis and has remained there since. Mr. Gidda speaks of his identity as an American, and yet still acknowledges his Indian heritage by staying in touch with family members in India and participating in Indian events in Indianapolis, mostly sponsored by the India Association of Indianapolis.

Kavitha Pai was born to Indian parents and grew up in Munster, Indiana. She is currently an undergraduate at Indiana University studying pre-med and business. Ms. Pai discusses her interest in Indian culture. She talks about Indian classical dance, her efforts to learn Konkani, her parent's native language, and Indian culture. She started an Indian student association in high school for students in her town and surrounding areas. She is active at Indiana University in both the Indian Student Association and the Asian American Association. She discusses the challenges as growing up in America with an Indian family, and she talks about the ways she tries to incorporate Indian culture in her American lifestyle.

Prema Popkin was born and raised in Uttar Pradesh, Indian and currently resides with her husband in Bloomington, Indiana. She has a degree in English literature from India, and also studies in Great Britain, where she met her future husband. After she returned to India, she taught in her hometown for a brief period and then at a university in Lucknow, India, where her future husband was studying through an exchange program. After they married, Mrs. Popkin moved with her husband to the United States. They lived for a few years in New York, but eventually her husband got a professorship at Indiana University, and they have lived in Bloomington ever since. Mrs. Popkin discusses the importance of maintaining Indian traditions and customs in the United States and the activities she participates in, especially her activities with the Indic Society. She also speaks of her religious beliefs, her experiences of being an Indian Christian, and marrying into a Jewish family.

Thayammal "Lucy" Thiagarajan was born and raised in Madras, India. She lived in a very strict Hindu family and had to struggle with her father to be allowed to attend school past the age of twelve. She succeeded in getting a high school diploma and a teaching certificate. For a few years, she and her husband taught in India. In the late 1960s, she and her family moved to Bloomington, Indiana so her husband could study for a PhD, and except for a few exceptional periods, they have remained in Bloomington since. Mrs. Thiagarajan talks about the difficulties of her childhood: her struggle to attend school, her father's illness, and her resistance to getting married at a young age. She speaks of her move to America and learning English, and her experiences in teaching in a Montessori school in Bloomington. She talks of her two years in Liberia and compares the poverty in India and Africa. Finally, she speaks of the ways she has tried to maintain Indian traditions and values in America and the ways she has passed on Indian culture to her son.

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