At Risk Stories - Ms. Prem Sharma

Ms. Prem Sharma

Full Oral History Interview

Birthplace

Description

Prem Sharma, 77, is a pioneer member of Chicago’s Indian American community, the founder of Apna Ghar, a domestic violence support service for immigrant women, and has played a leading role in the Indian women’s community since the late 1970s. The interview includes discussion of her arranged marriage, discrimination experienced by her and her husband in England, the challenges of raising children on her own in the United States, and her roles in founding the Club of Indian Women, the Indo-Crisis Line for women, and the Apna Ghar women’s shelter. She discusses the importance of karma in her outlook on life, her love of art and building community. Other topics discussed include: social services for immigrants, migrating along with her siblings, the growth entailed in arranged marriage.

Identifier

oh402

License

Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Date Recorded

August 9, 2021

Interviewer

Jitesh Jaggi, Shristi Dear

Extent

0:51:57

Date Of Birth

1944

Place of Birth or Hometown

Shimla, India New Delhi, India

Date of Immigration

1971

Reason for Immigration

Marriage

Port of Entry

Occupation

Homemaker and Non-profit leader

Number of Siblings

7

Family's Religion

Hinduism

Languages Spoken

Hindi English

Schooling

University of New Delhi; PhD in Literature

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