Broadening Narratives
(Coming Soon!) The 20 oral histories in the Broadening Narratives collection will constitute a concerted effort to bring into the archive voices of Indian immigrants to Chicago who are part of marginalized communities such as lgbtq+ groups, senior citizens, low income families, residents in sheltered housing, as well as people in under-represented professions such as artists, cab drivers, gas station attendants, domestic, retail and back-room workers. The collection includes American-born narrators of Indian descent and reflects the socio-economic, regional and linguistic diversity of Indian Americans. These stories will challenge the stereotypes often associated with the “model minority,” and speak to the complexity of the immigrant experience.
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Ms. Usha Sanghavi (Broadening Narratives)
Usha Sanghavi, 77, is a retired Dunkin’ Donuts employee born in Bombay, and longtime member of the Gujarati Indian community in the Chicago suburbs. In this interview, she reflects on her childhood in South Bombay, her father’s sari business and early death, and the pivotal...
Ms. Raziya and Mr. Yusuf Tinwala (Broadening Narratives)
Raziya Tinwala, 81, is a Dawoodi Bohra Muslim, home-based dressmaker, and grandmother living with her family in Naperville, Illinois. The interview includes discussion of her childhood in Bombay (Mumbai), her father’s building-materials business and subsequent mental-health struggles, and the early responsibilities she and her sisters...
Mr. Muhammed Khatri (Broadening Narratives)
Muhammed Khatri, 57, is a cheerful Muslim limo driver living in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood. Mr. Khatri is enthusiastic about the opportunities available in the United States for anyone willing to work hard, an economic reality he experienced in sharp contrast to his difficult life...
Oral History of Swami Ishatmananda (Broadening Narratives)
Swami Ishatmananda, 71, is a monk and the spiritual leader of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago. In this interview, he reflects on his childhood in Kolkata and the philosophical influence of his father, whose spiritual outlook inspired his early interest in the Vedanta tradition....
Ms. Shruthi Kannan (Broadening Narratives)
Shruthi Kannan, 36, is a Chicago-based labor organizer in SEIU Healthcare’s childcare division, a vocalist, and a former early-childhood teacher. The interview includes discussion of her birth in Bhilai and upbringing in a joint Brahmin family in Chennai, immigration to the Northwest Suburbs at age...
Mr. Pratyush Swarup (Broadening Narratives)
Prathyush Swarup, 28, is an award-winning independent photographer and videographer who focuses on using his art to capture joy. In the interview he recalls an unconventional, well-traveled childhood—-an international/IB boarding school in the hills outside Delhi, annual trips abroad, and a home overflowing with animals...
Mr. Harshad Patel (Broadening Narratives)
Harshad “Harshad ji” Patel, 64, is a Chicago-area small-business owner and active temple board member. Guided by a family ethic of care and generosity, he offers a pragmatic story that centers around on work, mutual aid, and resilience in U.S., a place for opportunity, independence,...
Mr. Zakir Seedat (Broadening Narratives)
Zakir Ibrahim Seedat, 66, is a Gujarati Muslim immigrant, former accountant and long-time retail worker, and a front-of-house administrator at the National Indo-American Museum. The interview includes discussion of his childhood in Bombay/Mumbai, the hardships imposed by the death of his father at a young...
Mr. Punit Jasuja (Broadening Narratives)
Punit Jasuja, 51, is a designer and special events producer who lives between Oak Brook, New York and New Delhi. The interview focuses on his family’s background in India, their immigration from Multan, Pakistan, to Chicago and his childhood in Oak Brook, Illinois. The discussion...
Mr. Michael Kuruvilla (Broadening Narratives)
Michael Kuruvilla, 42, is the Chief of Police of Brookfield, Illinois, a social worker by training, and a longtime member of Chicago’s Malayali Christian community. The interview includes discussion of his Chicago birth and Buffalo Grove upbringing, his parents’ immigration from Kerala (and his mother’s...
Oral History of Mr. Nisar Niami (Broadening Narratives)
Nisar Naimi, 41, is an event planner in Chicago’s South Asian and LGBTQ communities. Born and raised in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Nisar grew up in a large family and deeply values his parents’ sacrifices and community-building efforts. His father, a mechanical engineer from India...
Oral History of Ms. Eshara Mondal (Broadening Narratives)
Eshara Mondal, 32, is a cloud engineering manager for a nonprofit and has a background in neuroscience and education policy. Born in Adena, Minnesota, and raised in Palatine, Illinois, she grew up balancing her Bengali heritage with American life. She participated in the Bengali Association...
Mr. Karan Thakkar (Broadening Narratives)
Karan Thakkar, 34, also known as DJ Cash, is a physician practicing physical medicine and rehabilitation and music producer invested in blending South Asian and African American sounds and cultures. Born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, he immigrated to the U.S. at age four with his parents...