National Indo-American Museum Illinois to make community stories public

The histories will be posted on the NIAM website and made accessible to general public

Consul General of Chicago Mr. Somnath Ghosh addresses the NIAM audience on on July 19, 2024. / Asian Media USA

The National Indo-American Museum (NIAM) launched its latest Oral History initiative called ‘Broadening Narratives’ recently. The event, held at NIAM’s Umang and Paragi Patel Center in Lombard, was attended by the Consul General of India in Chicago Somnath Ghosh, and other speakers, and members of the community.

The Broadening Narratives project seeks to go beyond the portrayal of Indian Americans as a highly educated and successful immigrant group, and diversify NIAM’s Oral History collection.

Funded by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly foundation, the program also aims to add the voices of Indian Americans from a broad range of socio-economic levels, including marginalized and under-represented groups, such as LGBTQ+, retail clerks, gas station attendants, people living in shelters or on government assistance, and the undocumented.

The Consul General spoke of the importance of a community capturing its own story in authentic, first person voices instead of leaving it solely in the hands of others to interpret the Indian American experience.

NIAM Board members explained the process by which interviewees would be sought out and interviewed by well trained professionals on the project team.

Padma Rangaswamy, Project Director, introduces the Broadening Narratives project. / Asian Media USA

Team members including project director Padma Rangaswamy, board member Devalina Law, exhibition chair Raja Nadimpalli, and project manager Amita Banerji, addressed the audience.

NIAM digital archivist Ina Cox and NIAM consultant Peter Alter, Chief Oral Historian at the Chicago History Museum shared how to get the most out of the NIAM oral history web pages.

The new oral histories will be posted on the NIAM website and made accessible to all, including historians and researchers.

Board Member Devalina Law addresses the audience. / Asian Media USA

The event also featured NIAM’s latest exhibition ‘Desi Roots and Wings’, which narrates the history of Indian immigrants to the US from 1620 to World War 1. Among the many individuals whose story is told in the exhibition is freedom fighter Har Dayal Mathur (1884–1939) who lived in the U.S. and devoted his life to the cause of Indian independence from the British.

His great granddaughter, Nisha Grover, was one of the featured speakers at the Broadening Narratives event.

Guest Speaker Nisha Grover speaks of her great great grandfather, the Indian freedom fighter, Har Dayal Mathur. / Asian Media USA

Desi Roots and Wings is open to the public at 815 S. Main St. in Lombard on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 4 pm. Group tours at other times are available by appointment. Admission is $10, free for children 5 and younger. Free parking is available.

Raja Nadimpalli, curator of NIAM's permanent exhibition Desi Roots and Wings, addresses the audience. / Asian Media USA

NIAM digital archivist Ina Cox and NIAM consultant Peter Alter (not in pic), Chief Oral Historian at the Chicago History Museum shared how to get the most out of the NIAM oral history web pages. / Asian Media USA

NIAM consultant Peter Alter (not in pic), Chief Oral Historian and NIAM digital archivist Ina Cox at the Chicago History Museum shared how to get the most out of the NIAM oral history web pages. / Asian Media USA