New partnership with Rice University\u2019s Woodson Research Center aims to preserve the history, achievements, and experiences of Houston\u2019s Indian American community for future generations.<\/p>\n
By Juhi Varma<\/p>\n
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Community leaders, scholars, and university officials gathered at Rice University on June 1 for a ceremonial to celebrate the partnership between Rice University\u2019s Woodson Research Center and Foundation for India Studies. From left are: Sriram Arepalli, Prashant Sharma, Anne Chao, D.C. Manjunath, Amanda Focke, Krishna Vavilala, Hiren Sharma, Ponnada Narayan, Parul Fernandes, Juhi Varma, and Sreedhar Murthy.<\/p>\n
The Foundation for India Studies (FIS) has launched a landmark collaboration with Rice University\u2019s Woodson Research Center to preserve and document the rich history of Houston\u2019s Indian American community through archival collections and oral histories.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor more than 15 years, we\u2019ve been building collections related to Houston\u2019s Asian American communities, but we do not yet have a significant representation of the Indian American community,\u201d said Amanda Focke, Head of the Woodson Research Center at Rice University. \u201cToday\u2019s event marks our intention to build the collection in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community leaders, scholars, and university officials gathered at Rice University on June 1 for a ceremonial \u201csetting of intentions\u201d event marking the beginning of the partnership. Fourteen representatives from FIS and Rice University participated in discussions focused on documenting the history, experiences, and contributions of Indian Americans in the Greater Houston area.<\/p>\n
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Krishna Vavilala, Founder and Chairman of FIS, and Amanda Focke, a certified archivist and Head of Special Collections at Rice University.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a great beginning for this important project,\u201d Vavilala said following the meeting. \u201cThe Foundation for India Studies looks forward to a productive and long-term collaboration with Rice University.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vavilala noted that Rice University was an ideal partner because of its nationally recognized archival and research infrastructure. The project will help preserve photographs, documents, audio recordings, videos, organizational records, and personal papers for future researchers, students, and generations of Indian Americans.<\/p>\n
The Woodson Research Center, located on the first floor of Fondren Library, is home to numerous collections documenting Houston\u2019s diverse communities. Among its holdings are the stories of the pioneering Gee Chinese American family, Vietnamese refugees who rebuilt their lives after the Vietnam War, and Japanese American families who persevered after internment during World War II. The center also houses the Houston Asian American Archive, which preserves the experiences of Asian American communities across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may be wondering why we do not already have extensive collections relating to the Indian community,\u201d Focke said. \u201cThe truth is that we do have some materials. We simply want much more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the new initiative, the Woodson Research Center will collect archival materials, photographs, documents, and oral histories from Houston\u2019s Indian American community and from nonprofit organizations serving the community. These materials will be professionally preserved, cataloged, and made accessible to researchers, students, and community members interested in understanding the history and contributions of Indian Americans in Houston.<\/p>\n
The center itself reflects its archival mission. Visitors are greeted by historical artifacts, including an antique printing press, traditional card catalog cabinets, and other displays that celebrate the preservation of history and knowledge.<\/p>\n
Dr. Anne Chao, Associate Director of the Chao Center for Asian Studies at Rice University, thanked FIS for bringing together many of Houston\u2019s prominent Indian American community leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been contacted by journalists from across the country who want to better understand Houston\u2019s Asian American communities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chao, the founder and driving force behind the Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA), has dedicated years to preserving the lived experiences of Asian and Asian American communities in one of the nation\u2019s most diverse cities. Her work seeks to document community histories before they are lost to time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found that Houston has one of the largest Asian American populations in the United States, yet there was no major repository dedicated to preserving these stories,\u201d Chao explained. \u201cWe started modestly by interviewing a Chinese American newspaper publisher who donated his papers to us. Word spread throughout the community, and our goal has always been to create a truly pan-Asian archive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consul General of India in Houston D.C. Manjunath, who served as chief guest at the signing ceremony, welcomed the initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the Government of India\u2019s perspective, also, we are looking at the diaspora\u2019s success stories,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom the consulate, we would be more than happy to support and participate, and as from our side, we are also doing an oral history (contribution) from the government\u2019s perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vavilala highlighted the Indian American community\u2019s contributions to Houston in fields such as engineering, medicine, technology, business, education, and culture. He noted that younger generations often know little about how temples, monuments, community institutions, and nonprofit organizations were established.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis archive can become a central repository where future generations can learn about the people and organizations that helped build our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rice University\u2019s Department of Transnational Asian Studies works closely with the Chao Center for Asian Studies, which was established in 2008 through the support of the T.T. and W.F. Chao Family Foundation. The center serves as a major research hub for faculty, students, and postdoctoral scholars and publishes the online journal Transnational Asia. Over the years, it has received support from organizations such as the Henry Luce Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Academy of Korean Studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce materials are received by the Woodson Research Center, Amanda\u2019s team will process, preserve, and make them available for research,\u201d Chao said.<\/p>\n
She added that Rice University will work closely with community organizations and individuals to identify and acquire materials suitable for inclusion in the collection.<\/p>\n
Focke emphasized that the partnership is intended to create a lasting archive documenting the growth, achievements, and evolving story of Houston\u2019s Indian American community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for your many efforts in bringing the Indian American community together and for helping launch this collaboration,\u201d she told the gathering. \u201cWe should begin with the archives of the Foundation for India Studies itself and build from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the signing ceremony, Focke and Chao hosted a Mediterranean lunch for attendees to celebrate the occasion. Guests also received commemorative swag bags as a memento of the event.<\/p>\n
The initiative represents an important step toward ensuring that the history of Houston\u2019s Indian American community is preserved for future generations. Through this partnership, personal stories, organizational records, and community achievements will become part of the historical record, providing scholars and the public with a deeper understanding of the community\u2019s role in shaping Houston\u2019s cultural, educational, and economic landscape.<\/p>\n
Are you interested in sharing your story? Please call Krishna Vavilala 713-201-3383 for any further queries.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New partnership with Rice University\u2019s Woodson Research Center aims to preserve the history, achievements, and experiences of Houston\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-347214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}