Beyond Bollywood postcards. Click to enlarge.

By Masum Momaya, Curator

As I write this, Smithsonian exhibition designers are putting the finishing touches on the gallery design for Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation.  Come December, the 5000-square-foot exhibition on the second floor of the National Museum of Natural History will be adorned with artifacts, images, and works of art showcasing Indian American history.  Contextualizing these items with visual elements to transform the gallery into an Indian American space has been a yearlong undertaking.

Last summer, I chose paint colors for the exhibition walls, deciding on marigold yellow, deep purple, and bright magenta to convey the vibrancy of material elements of Indian American culture, such as our garments and spices. Smithsonian designer Lynn Kawaratani and I visited an Indian clothing shop, grocery store, and my very own closet to identify visual elements to include in the gallery design. We photographed textile patterns, matched colors with a very large book of Pantone swatches, identified recurring motifs (such as paisleys), and chose the trusty, ever-present stainless steel thali as a frame to be used throughout the exhibition.

New York-based designer Minjal Dharia gave an Indian-inspired treatment to the exhibition title, which will be carried in all the exhibition text panels, and designed various postcards to help us spread the word using a few of photographer Preston Merchant’s images.  Recently, we put out a call to the community to collect both Indian and American shoes, many of which will grace the exhibition entrance.

Colors, patterns, motifs, fonts, and commonplace items such as the thali will merge to create the backdrop for  telling our history.  We look forward to sharing both the educational and aesthetic experience of Indian America with you later this year.

Click to enlarge and view more photos.

A traditional Indian thali plate.

By Kumu Gupta

As a President’s Challenge Advocate, I would like to introduce “My Thali”, a concept equivalent  to USDA’s MyPlate program, a fun way to eat healthy for the Indian American community.

MyPlate was introduced in 2011, as a replacement for USDA’s My Pyramid program. The Food Pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture in the year 1992, and was updated in 2005 to MyPyramid. A food guide pyramid is a pyramid shaped guide of healthy foods divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each.  Using the new USDA plate icon, basic suggestions of MyPlate food groups are to:

• Balance calories (reduce portions)
• Increase certain foods (vegetables, fruits and whole grains)
• Reduce other foods (sodium and sugary drinks)

Thali (Hindi: थाली [t̪ʰaːli]) meaning “plate” is an Indian meal made up of a selection of various dishes. Thali dishes vary from region to region in India and are usually served in small bowls on a round tray. Sometimes a steel tray made with multiple compartments is used.

An Indian American diet is similar to the American diet in that dairy, vegetables and fruits constitute most of what is eaten in the course of the day. But the Indian American methods of cooking or preparing food can be a fun experience for one to enjoy the pleasures of the culture while adopting healthy eating habits. For example, mango, a favorite Indian fruit, can be enjoyed as mango lassi, a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink (can be substituted with low fat yogurt) of India. It is made by blending yogurt with mango juice. This would take care of the fruit as well as dairy requirements for the day. Dal (also referred to as dahl or daal, or dhal) is a preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas, or beans) and is a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet containing little or no meat. Similarly, chapati is unleavened flatbread and is made of whole wheat flour and cooked on a tava (flat skillet). This is a low-fat to no fat alternative for the grains food group.

This fun and easy way of enjoying an Indian meal also applies for breakfast. With today’s 1 Minute Cream of Wheat, you can alternate upma (a hot breakfast dish) one or two days of the week with toast, eggs, pancakes, and fruit for a not-so-boring 7-day plan for a fresh start to your day.

Thus “MyThali” combines healthy and delicious alternatives of Indian American cuisine in conjunction with the guidelines of MyPlate and goes a long way in helping you stay fit in your new home away from home.

Kumu Gupta is a guest contributor to our blog. She is a President’s Challenge Advocate with the President’s Challenge Program, a premier program of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.

Want to be part of Beyond Bollywood? Donate a pair of new or gently worn shoes. They can be for any season, style, age, and gender. But please do not mail us your shoes, first send us photos of the shoes to indianamerican@si.edu. You will be contacted via email if your shoes are selected.

Please note that submissions are not guaranteed in the exhibition. There is no compensation for the donation and shoes will not be returned if they are chosen.

Indian frozen food dinners at Trader Joe’s. Photo by Emily Vallerga

By Emily Vallerga, Spring 2013 Intern

In preparation for the exhibition Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, I was asked to catalogue all the Indian foods sold at Trader Joe’s. The presence of Indian food offerings at Trader Joe’s represents one way in which Indian food has taken root in American cuisine as a mainstream staple.

Here are some reflections on the experience:

A sign from a Trader Joe’s store.

For those who are not familiar with Trader Joe’s, it is a grocery store that prides itself on being the trendy, food conscious, neighborhood store. Originating in 1967, in Pasadena, California, Trader Joe’s now boasts 395 stores in 30 states. The products range from organic cage-free eggs, frozen stir-fry vegetables, eggplant palak paneer, and more.

In fact, I was surprised to learn that Trader Joe’s sells around 30 different Indian food products from simmer sauces to frozen dinners. I found boxes of “Indian Fare: Jaipur Vegetables” (which are ready in only five minutes), bags of presumably freshly made tandoori naan, and jars of mango ginger chutney. The products range from simply placing the item in a pot and boiling it, to a product that will enhance any home cooked dish.

From left: mango ginger chutney, Indian Fare – jaipur vegetables, and tandoori naan. Photos by Emily Vallerga

But what makes the Indian food at Trader Joe’s stand out, besides its affordable price, is that it sits on the shelf next to the Indonesian curry, Chinese stir fry, and Spanish sauces. While cataloging, I had to scour each aisle just to find all the little pockets of Indian food throughout the store. I found it particularly intriguing that there was no “Indian Food” or “Hispanic Food” designated areas, but rather all of the ethnic food was intermingled with other foods.

It seems to me that Trader Joe’s believes strongly in bringing tasty, healthy, and flavorful food options from around the world to its customers. In fact, the design of the store suggests a mingling of cultures and food that is non-discriminatory. It creates an environment that is welcoming to all adventurous food lovers.  What do you think?  Is this a sign that Indian food is now American food?

Emily Vallerga, a recent graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, is an intern with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s Indian American Heritage Project.

The Indian American Heritage Project of Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center is looking for artists to create works that use the visual of the H1-B visa as a motif or inspiration and comment upon the experience of temporary and tenuous immigration status for Indian immigrants in the United States. Themes such as migration, transnational identity, diaspora, economy, outsourcing and the role and reach of technology can also be explored.

Final works should be no larger than 6’ by 6’ and must mount on a gallery wall. All media are welcome, including:

• Graphic Design
• Painting
• Drawing
• Printing
• Collage
• Photography
• Mixed Media

Interested artists should submit a concept, including a detailed written description and sketches/images by midnight EST on Sunday, March 31, 2013 to Curator Masum Momaya at MomayaM@si.edu with the subject line “H1-B”.

Upon review of concept submissions by Smithsonian curatorial staff, a small number of artists will be asked to create the final work and submit digital representations of it by 5pm EST on Friday, May 31,2013.

Digital representations will be displayed by Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center in an online gallery, and the winning work will be featured in an upcoming exhibition, Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation at the National Museum of Natural History from December 2013 through January 2015.

The Indian American Heritage Project at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH) present a brown-bag book talk by Dr. Nalini Natarajan, Professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on her new book Atlantic Gandhi: The Mahatma Overseas.

Atlantic Gandhi examines Gandhi’s experience as a traveler moving from a classic colony, India, to the plantation and mining society of South Africa and argues that his diasporic life resonates with recent perspectives on the Atlantic, as an ocean that not just transported the victims of a greedy plantation system, but also saw the ferment of revolutionary ideas.

The Indian American Heritage Project was recently in New York City promoting our project and upcoming exhibition, Beyond Bollywood! Check out this video featuring some highlights from a presentation event at the Consulate General of India in New York City on February 28, 2013.

Photo from the book “Yoga for Americans” by Indra Devi, 1959.

By Emily Vallerga, Spring 2013 intern

Yoga has a long and involved history in America. Some aspects of it are better known than others. It started as an unpopular tradition, evolved into a time-consuming practice for the wealthy, morphed into a fitness regimen, later became known for its spirituality and is now available in many forms, from workouts to spiritual philosophies, for just about anyone.

Here are ten things you should know about yoga in America:

1. The word ‘yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit yoga meaning “union.” Scriptures on the philosophy of yoga say its purpose is to create a union of the individual Self with the supreme Self.

2. Henry David Thoreau practiced meditative yoga in his Walden home from 1845-1849. He described the experience as allowing him to see the world more clearly and more beautifully.

3. In 1893, Swami Vivekananda brought meditative yoga to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He taught the practice of Raja yoga -royal yoga- which focuses on meditation to unite the individual Self with the supreme Self, and pranayama – breathing exercises. Many of Vivekananda’s followers were wealthy, female Americans who had time and money to participate in his guided meditation and yoga classes.

Indra Devi on the cover of her book “Yoga for Americans”, 1959

4. Pierre Bernard founded an intensive and expensive yoga school in Nyacks, New York called the Clarkston Country Club in 1919 that taught Hatha yoga, which is the practice of postures, breath control, and mediation to strengthen the body in order to promote union with the Supreme Self. He taught simple to complex postures as well as the philosophies of transcendence.

5. In the 1930s, yoga became a part of the American obsession with adventure stories. In a time of depression, adventure stories helped Americans ‘escape’ from the hardships of hunger and deprivation. The film Lost Horizon, told a similar story to that of Theos Bernard and his adventures in India learning yoga postures and philosophy.

6. 1938 Margaret Woodrow Wilson, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson, joined Aurobindo’s Ashram in India, the only place where she truly felt at peace. Aurobindo developed Integral yoga, where he taught his students that humans would eventually evolve into supreme beings, and that yoga was just a way to speed up the process of evolution.

7. Indra Devi brought Hatha yoga, the most common yoga in America today, to Los Angeles in 1947. Her yoga was an exercise routine that focused on asana, or postures, to promote youth, health, and physically fit bodies. She did not include the religious philosophy of yoga in her teaching.

8. Marilyn Monroe practiced Hatha yoga asanas, and was photographed doing certain yoga asanas to advertise her health regimen.

9. During the counter culture movement of the 1960s, yoga became a part of the psychedelic experience. It was a way to get “turned on” and remain turned on. Many who had psychedelic experiences claimed that the philosophies of yoga best described their experience; they felt as though they had united with the Universe, were in the never ending present, and could sense all the vibrations of the world.

10. As of July 2012, the number of Americans practicing yoga is reported to be 15 million. 72.2% are female and 27.8% are male.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images from the Examiner article “New York Yoga offers something for everyone and more”

Emily Vallerga, a recent graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, is an intern with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s Indian American Heritage Project.

TV Asia Network Named Media Sponsor for Exhibit on Indian American History and Culture

TV Asia network has teamed up with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center as the media sponsor for the upcoming exhibition, “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation.” This exhibition for the center will bring to life the rich history of immigrants from India and Indian Americans in the United States and detail their many contributions to America. Through a collection of photographs, artifacts, videos, interactive stations and stories, visitors will learn about the Indian American experience and the many dynamic roles they have played in shaping American society and culture.

“The Indian American story has yet to be fully told,” said Konrad Ng, director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. “Visitors of all ages will leave the exhibition with a deeper understanding of this vibrant community as they strive to realize life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in America. This exhibition is about celebrating a community that embodies the American spirit.”

“Beyond Bollywood” is scheduled to open in late 2013, and it will occupy more than 5,000 square feet of space at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Over a two-year period the exhibition is expected to draw more than 7 million visitors before embarking on a national tour in 2015. “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation” is the largest project undertaken by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in its 15-year history, and the first to focus on Indian American culture.

“The success of this initiative relies greatly on our ability to engage the public in the months leading up to the exhibition opening,” said Ng. “By partnering with TV Asia, we have taken an important step in increasing the public’s knowledge and understanding of this exhibition.”

“Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation” is a project of monumental significance to our community and TV Asia,” said H.R. Shah, chairman and CEO of TV Asia. “As a media sponsor we are honored and excited to be a part of this program.”

TV Asia is celebrating its 20th year in United States with a headquarters in New Jersey, and it is a part of the growth of the Indian American community. The “Beyond Bollywood” exhibition supplements TV Asia’s mission to promote and celebrate the community and its achievements in the United States.

“There is still some public perception that we as Indian Americans are foreigners or outsiders in the United States,” said Masum Momaya, curator of the exhibition. “But history shows the opposite is true. We’ve been here since the earliest days of the nation and had our hands in building it to what it is today—politically, professionally and culturally. TV Asia connects to the Indian American community day in and day out.”

About Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

Established in 1997, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center produces programs and exhibitions about the Asian Pacific American experience and works in partnership with organizations across the Smithsonian and beyond to enrich collections and activities about the Asian Pacific American experience. It shares the challenges and stories of America’s fastest-growing communities. It connects treasures and scholars with the public, celebrates long-lived traditions and explores contemporary expressions. The stories it tells are vital to a deeper understanding of the nation and a richer appreciation of Asian Pacific cultures.

For information about the center, visit http://apa.si.edu. For general Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

About TV Asia

TV Asia is an Edison, New Jersey based Pay TV Channel serving over South Asians across the United States and Canada on Dish Satellite & IPTV Platforms and on major Cable systems such as Time Warner, Comcast Xfinity, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, on Telco providers Verizon FIOS and AT&T U Verse and on Rogers Cable and Bell IPTV in Toronto Canada. TV Asia’s mission is to highlight South Asian Talent in the U.S. and Canada and promote our rich heritage in the arts, religion, sports and culture and inspire the current generation to uphold and carry forward the rich and ancient ideals of our glorious past. Visit www.tvasiausa.com for more information.

Photo by Athanasia Kotopoulos.

Shine Jyoti – A time for Remembrance & Action

By Lavina Melwani

They gathered on January 15 in the dark, in the biting winter cold in Union Square, Manhattan’s instinctive gathering place for protests and vigils, for remembrance and for times of loss. Encircled by towering buildings and rushing, frenzied traffic, they had come together, carrying lighted votives which glittered in the dark of the disappearing day.

It was appropriate that they had gathered here for though Jyoti Singh Pandey’s story may have taken place in a street in Delhi, it has gone on to become a global catalyst, not just for women but for men of good will, for all human beings.  Looking at the somber faces, not only Indian but of every race, one realized that sexual violence is something everyone has to contend with.  I could even imagine Jyoti Singh Pandey, huddled in a coat with a votive in her hand, standing in solidarity with the crowd.

She was us and we were her.

The ‘Shine Jyoti’ vigil had been organized by the nonprofit group Sakhi for South Asian Women which works with victims of domestic violence,  in conjunction with a host of women’s and community organizations. There were men, women, elderly and the young, babies in strollers. There were hand-made banners which told of the concerns, of the way sexual violence had infiltrated communities: ‘Jyoti, Your Light Shines Through the Darkness. Shine in Power”;”From Delhi to Ohio and Beyond: If you are not fighting rape, you are saying it’s OK”; “Silence hides Violence”; “Speak Even if Your Voice Shakes”; and just simply ‘Respect’.

Photo by Juhi Desai

Many voices were heard on the makeshift stage that night, men and women from different organizations expressing their grief and shock and what needs to be done in the future. “The violence and the painful details have been haunting us all,” said Sethu Nair, outreach advocate with Sakhi.  ”We feel anger, outrage, sadness, intolerance and perhaps what brings us all together  today is a feeling of solidarity, a knowing within us that it is time to come together and do something.  But above everything, what is outrageous and unacceptable to me is the silence. All of this awareness this case has brought forth has done little to truly address the silence that surrounds gender-based violence. And that silence is right here among us.”

She added, “It is quietly among us in the way we never truly acknowledge that rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, family violence, incest is not something that happens out there,  to other people, far from here.  Today, this gathering here is not only about Jyoti and India. Today is about us coming together to acknowledge that violence and abuse, that dynamic of power and control through that traps our own lives and spirits. It is right here, among us! It happens in the South Asian community right here in New York City.  It happens in all communities everywhere in the world.”

This solidarity vigil was also a catalyst for more action in the future. Sanjay Patil, a member of Association for India’s Development (AID-NY), announced a panel discussion by SABANY and AID-NY on February 6 to discuss the reformation of India’s criminal laws and justice system to protect women’s constitutional rights. For more information on participating, check http://aidnyc.org/

Many Voices,  A Shared Pain

I talked to Purvi Shah, a consultant on violence against women, who is also a poet and author of ‘Terrain Tracks’ (purvipoets.net). She pointed out,  ”Sexual violence affects all our communities and each of us. As a result, each of us needs to be part of the solution. Ultimately, we are working towards a world where we can show healthy desires, starting with behavior that respects everyone’s body, integrity, and right to be fully human.”

Indeed, sexual violence can come in many forms, from spousal violence to ‘eve teasing’ to molestation and rape. Many community activists from different spheres of society spoke, proving that violence is the common denominator in so many relationships.

“We are here today to say that we all must work together to remove the stigma about talking about sexual violence, and to change our culture.  No one has the right to take someone else’s sexual consent, or control over their own body,” said Chai Jindasurat,  Coordinator at the New York City Anti-Violence Project , a national coalition which works within the  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected (LGBTQH) communities.

As he pointed out, this is another community which is often silenced and minimized, as not too many people recognize that sexual violence is something that even LGBTQ people face. “There are many myths about LGBTQ sexual violence, including the myth that men cannot be raped, the myth that women cannot perpetrate sexual violence, the myth that LGBTQ people are sexually deviant.”

Photo by Juhi Desai

The Sorrow of the Dhol, and a Poem…

As the vigil neared its end, Sonny Singh Brooklynwala brought out his dhol which usually brings such joy and vibrant energy with bhangra beats. Today it hammered out a sad, sombre tap which pervaded the air and made one focus, almost meditate, like a prayer. Then Purvi Shah, poet and activist, shattered the night with a powerful poem dedicated to Jyoti Singh Pandey and all the women lost to violence.

Here’s an excerpt:

To shine a light
for Jyoti and all the victims & survivors of sexual violence and for our future
Your eyes held so much wonder, marveling
at this movie – Life of Pi – this film that would be your last. Your brothers
miss your sparkle. Your parents, holding you now as flame.
Many names you have been called – treasure,
lightning, India’s daughter, anonymous. And even
your own: Jyoti, the light.
In your shadowed radiance, we raise
a lamp, lead darkness
into flame, death into survival.
So why are we all here?
To shine a light.

*

There’s a lot of talk these days about India’s rape culture.
How it’s the most dangerous place to be born a girl. True.
Yet, let’s take this moment to shift lights: here,
in the U.S., 1 in 6 women is raped. Every 2
minutes, a sexual assault. A priest with hands
too near, a football coach groping, a partner forceful.
Seems like we have a legitimate problem as well.
Yet, how we throw stones, make a false distance. So we need
to pick up a candle in our own
neighborhoods, dorm rooms, lockers, homes.
So why are we all here?
To shine a light.

*

A woman is not a metaphor.
She is skin and bones.
In fact, she is more – she is the courage of a baby bird about to fly.
She is the heart of a friend holding your hand at a hospital.
She is a soul watching a galaxy spinning around her.
These aren’t metaphors but incidences of light, the way hope, desire, dreaming, is as real
as light on your face in the mornings, as real
as the men & women facing
water cannons, tear gas on Delhi streets.
You just have to believe it to see it. You just have to see it to believe it.
So why are we all here?
To shine a light.

*

Her name is Jyoti Singh Pandey.
Let us say, when we leave here tonight, Jyoti,
you may have lit
a spark in Delhi but you have
ignited a blaze across our world.
So why are we all here?
To shine a light.
So why are we all here?
To shine a light.
So why are we all here?
To shine a light.
Go then, shine.

Lavina Melwani is an award-winning journalist who has written for several international publications including: India Today, Newsday, The Week, WSJ, Travel Plus and The Hindu. She lives in New York. Her online magazine, Lassi with Lavina, is about Indian art and culture. Click here to visit her website, Lassi with Lavina.