HomeSpun: Smithsonian Indian American Heritage Project

Dear Indian American Community Leader,

I am delighted to tell you about a historic initiative from the Smithsonian Institution on Indian immigrants and their descendants, entitled  HomeSpun: The Indian American Heritage Project.  My name is Pawan Dhingra.  I am an associate professor of sociology and comparative American studies at Oberlin College and the curator of this project. 

Indians have been in the U.S. for over a century.  As new generations arise, the legacies of the older generations must be preserved and learned from.  According to the U.S. Census there are now nearly 3 million Indian Americans, and Indian communities and centers have become more robust and noticeable in the past few years. The increasing visibility of Indian Americans is also reflected in politics, economics, and the popularity of Indian culture (such as cuisine, yoga, Bollywood, and more). It is time to tell our own story through HomeSpun.

There is no venue as powerful to convey our history, struggles, and achievements in this country than the Smithsonian, the largest museum complex in the world and one of the most respected cultural institutions in the nation.  The Smithsonian has already held exhibitions on Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese Americans.  Now it is our turn!

HomeSpun will consist of an exhibition, public programs, a middle school curriculum, and a cutting-edge website.  As such it will establish a permanent presence - through research, collections, and public programs - within the Smithsonian.  Here, students and visitors can not only view displays about Indian America but also learn about the role Indian Americans have played in shaping American society and about their connections to India.  The exhibition will travel the country to over a dozen cities, and public programs will be held in cooperation with local communities.

This project will not be possible without our community's support.  We are looking for your involvement in the following ways:

    Sharing your stories and any artifacts, home movies, or photos you or your community members may have, so as to appreciate our past, and
    Helping us fundraise to our targeted goal of $2 million. Without donations, we will not be able to create this living monument.

I hope you can share this information with your members. You can learn more aboutHomeSpun at www.homespun.si.edu. Please contact me with any questions or comments at(202) 633-2693 or DhingraP@si.edu. Thank you.

Sincerely, Dated:

Pawan Dhingra, Ph.D. June 8, 2011
Museum Curator

From: HomeSpun: Smithsonian Indian American Heritage Project - Asian Pacific American Program, Smithsonian Institution