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Indian-American Communities in the Hoosier State

1999-2000

12 interviews



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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.

Interviewees

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Bhatt, Jay

Bhola, Harbans

Joshi, Ramesh

Kapoor, J. M.

Khandelwal, Manjula; Khandewal, Pramod

Krishnan, Viswanath

Panchal, Nina; Panchel, Vipul

Pratap, Siddharth

Tumuluri, Vidyasagar


Interviewee: Anonymous
Call number: 99-021
Date(s) of Interview: February 24, 2000
Physical Description: 26 pp.; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 70 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Restricted; Interviewee is to remain anonymous. Scholars need to obtain permission from interviewee prior to using interview in publication.
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Allahabad University

Indiana University

Indic Society

University of British Columbia

Place Names

Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Bihar, India

Bloomington, Indiana

Terre Haute, Indiana

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Occupation Names

religious studies professor

Subjects

Eastern philosophy

Hindu goddess worship

Hinduism

Indian Independence Movement

Indian politics

Indian weddings

Santoshi Mata (goddess)

Western philosophy

Zen Buddhism

marriage customs

parenting philosophy

racial discrimination

symbolic logic

vegetarianism

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Interviewee: Anonymous
Call number: 99-011
Date(s) of Interview: November 11, 1999
Physical Description: 34 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Restricted: Interviewee wishes to remain anonymous.
Interviewer: Margolin, Amy

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. 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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Indiana University

University of Florida

Place Names

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Hollywood, Florida

Kerala, India

Occupation Names

behavioral scientist

graduate student

Subjects

Hinduism

Indian Christians

Jacobite Christianity

cancer research

multilingualism

naturalization

preventative healthcare

public health

racial discrimination

vegetarianism

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Interviewee: Anonymous
Call number: 99-022
Date(s) of Interview: March 15, 2000
Physical Description: 18 pp.; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Restricted: Interviewee wishes to remain anonymous
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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. She 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.

Keywords

Place Names

Chicago, Illinois

Hyderabad, India

Indianapolis, Indiana

Portland, Oregon

Texas

Subjects

Hinduism

Indian medical profession

Indian music

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Interviewee: Bhatt, Jay
Call number: 99-013
Date(s) of Interview: January 11, 2000
Physical Description: 32 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steve

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Indiana University Asian Culture Center

Indiana University Indian Student Association

Place Names

Ahmedabad, India

Chicago, Illinois

Elkhart, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Subjects

Dandia Ras

Diwali

Gujarati culture

Hinduism

Indian student associations

dating customs

immigration

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Interviewee: Bhola, Harbans
Call number: 99-017
Date(s) of Interview: January 28, 2000
Physical Description: 42 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index; interviewer's notes
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Margolin, Amy

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Indiana University

UNESCO

Personal Names

Bhola, Gurdial Singh

Place Names

Amritsar, India

Bloomington, Indiana

Delhi, India

Occupation Names

education professor

Subjects

Indian legal profession

Punjabi culture

Sikhism

joint families

naturalization

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Interviewee: Joshi, Ramesh
Call number: 99-012
Date(s) of Interview: December 6, 1999
Physical Description: 33 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 105 minutes; index; interviewee's business card
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steve

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Gita Mandala

Goodwill Industries

Rotary Club

Personal Names

Joshi, Darveen

Joshi, Diwan Chand

Joshi, Manu

Joshi, Veenu

Place Names

Franklin, Indiana

Mukerian, Punjab, India

Ohio

Punjab, India

Occupation Names

hotel owner

public administrator

small business owner

Subjects

Diwali

Indian Independence Movement

Indian community associations

Indian dance

Indian foodways

Indian music

Indian politics

Indian traditional dress

charity work

dating customs

hotel administration

local politics

marriage customs

multilingualism

naturalization

parenting philosophy

sociology

vegetarianism

volunteerism

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Interviewee: Kapoor, J. M.
Call number: 99-015
Date(s) of Interview: January 18, 2000
Physical Description: 31 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Michigan State University

Place Names

East Lansing, Michigan

Hyderabad, India

Indianapolis, Indiana

Lucknow, India

Uttar Pradesh, India

Subjects

Gurudwara

Hindu-Muslim conflict

Hinduism

Indian Independence Movement

Indian community associations

charity work

domestic help

joint families

naturalization

parenting philosophy

philanthropy

racial discrimination

social work

vegetarianism

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Interviewee: Khandelwal, Manjula; Khandewal, Pramod
Call number: 99-016
Date(s) of Interview: January 19, 2000
Physical Description: 50 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 112 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Brebeuf Preparatory School

University of Washington

Place Names

Agra, India

Indianapolis, Indiana

Newark, New Jersey

Seattle, Washington

Subjects

Hinduism

Indian Independence Movement

Indian community associations

Indian politics

acculturation

joint families

marriage customs

parenting philosophy

racial discrimination

vegetarianism

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Interviewee: Krishnan, Viswanath
Call number: 99-020
Date(s) of Interview: February 21, 2000
Physical Description: 14 pp.; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 35 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Indiana University

Indiana University Asian Student Union

Indiana University Indian Student Association

Place Names

Bloomington, Indiana

Delhi, India

Kerala, India

Madras, India

Occupation Names

student

Subjects

computer science

extracurricular activities

international students

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Interviewee: Panchal, Nina; Panchel, Vipul
Call number: 99-014
Date(s) of Interview: January 12, 2000
Physical Description: 33 pp.; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 70 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steve

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.

Keywords

Place Names

Chicago, Illinois

Detroit, Michigan

Elkhart, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Occupation Names

physician

Subjects

patriarchal societies

Hinduism

Indian community associations

dating customs

immigration

marriage customs

racial discrimination

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Interviewee: Pratap, Siddharth
Call number: 99-018
Date(s) of Interview: February 11, 2000
Physical Description: 21 pp.; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 50 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Indiana University

Place Names

Benares, India

Bloomington, Indiana

Nashville, Tennessee

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Subjects

Hinduism

Indian Christians

Indian community associations

Indian weddings

racial discrimination

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Interviewee: Tumuluri, Vidyasagar
Call number: 99-019
Date(s) of Interview: February 11, 2000
Physical Description: 31 pp.; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; index
Physical Location: Interviews are housed in Weatherly Hall North, Room 122. Copies are also housed at the Indiana University Archives in Herman B Wells Library E460. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for the Study of History and Memory office.
Access Status: Open
Interviewer: Sheehan, Steven

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.

Keywords

Corporation Names

Carmel High School

Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates

India Association of Indianapolis

Telugu Association, Indianapolis

Place Names

Andhra Pradesh, India

Indianapolis, Indiana

Newport, Rhode Island

Occupation Names

hand surgeon

Subjects

Indian community associations

Indian dance

Indian music

exchange families

medical school

parenting philosophy

vegetarianism

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