4-H students chronicle Indian-American history

Six members of the 4-H Indian Langoor Club participated in the "Recording History: Live!" oral history project that recorded the lives of Indian Americans who relocated to this country.

Omer Shafi, Avinash Moondra, Keenjal Shah and Aditi Sheety, of North Brunswick Township High School, Rishav Singh of South Brunswick High School, and Vaibhav Gupta of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South conducted 45-minute to onehour interviews that were voice-recorded and transcribed for the 2008-09 edition, the follow-up to the original 2006-08 edition.

As part of the 4-H's Grandparents-Kids Connect Program, the teen group interviewed Indian senior citizens who came to the United States in the 1960s and 1970s about their childhood, their experiences heading to a new environment, and their adjustment to a new culture.

"You can hear their experiences firsthand," Shah said. "You can actually hear what they have to say."

Chumpa Kasat grew up in a small town in India in a well-to-do but small family. She got married in India at age 16 and then came to the United States. Though she couldn't continue her education at first, through persistence she found her way. After living in the U.S., she realized that there were many changes that had occurred in India when she went back to visit.

Chandrakant Wagle grew up in a welloff small town. He got the opportunity to study at Texas A&M, one of very few Indians who did not stay on the East Coast. He thought people were friendly in the States and did not experience any racial prejudice.

Gobind Gidwani was born in 1924 in Karachi, which is now in Pakistan. He spoke about experiencing the partition of India. He became an engineer in India and is now retired from Kraft Foods.

He was interviewed along with his wife, Kamla Gobind Gidwani, who was one of the only women working in India at the time of the partition, which was unheard of. She had a similar story to her husband's, and the two became world travelers.

Bhagavat Patel grew up in Ahmedabad as a track star, successful in distance, middistance, sprint, long jump and high jump events. He studied in Ahmedabad and then, with his American uncle's help, studied at Xavier University in Ohio. He had to deal with the recession in the 1970s but became highly involved in volunteerism and politics both in India and America.

"[Their history is] something we would have lost if we hadn't done this project," Moondra said.

The students said they realized that most of the seniors had similar stories, and most were educated in India but came to the United States for a more specialized degree, returning to India to get married and then bringing their spouse back to the U.S. to raise their children.

The students also learned of the lack of Indian culture and facilities decades ago — there were few Indian grocery stores and temples.

"These people are the ones who formed what we have today," Moondra said.

Each interview was transcribed word for word, which took months to complete. Each entry was accompanied by photographs of the interviewee, such as family pictures from India and photos of cars, restaurants and jobs in the U.S., as well as a glossary of Indian-language terms that readers may be unfamiliar with.

The students were assisted by oral historian Howard Green, Isha Vyas of the Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission, 4-H club leader Seema Moondra, 4-H assisted club leader Nina Malagi and Middlesex County 4-H Agent Laura Bovitz.

The project was funded through a grant from the Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission, the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State.

An unveiling of the oral history book was held Nov. 1 at the 4-H Center in East Brunswick. A potluck reception was provided by the parents of the younger group of 4-H Grandparents-Kids Connect members.

The accounts, which are designed to provide supplemental history to textbooks, will be available at local public and high school libraries.

Contact Jennifer Amato at

jamato@gmnews.com.