Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Aurora de Peralta
Washington, DC – Indian American contributions to American culture are at the forefront in “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” an exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. The 5,000-square-foot exhibit opened on Feb 27 at the National Museum of Natural History and will run until Feb 2015. It will be the first major national exhibition to chronicle Indian America’s more than 200 years of history.
Many Americans might not realize that Indian Americans have offered more to U.S. culture than Bollywood movies. That’s precisely why Masum Momaya, Indian American and museum curator at the Asian Pacific American Center, chose to call the exhibition “Beyond Bollywood.”
“While the exhibition takes Bollywood as a point of departure for the stories we’re telling, we paired it with the word “Beyond” to show that we’re a lot more than you think we are,” said Momaya in an e-mail interview.
Momaya said that it was her intention as a curator for the exhibit to focus on the cultural, political and professional contributions of Indian immigrants and show how Indian Americans have shaped U.S. history. She selected artifacts, art and images that represent how Indian immigrants and Indian Americans have participated in American culture.
Focal points include gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj’s 2004 Olympic Silver Medal and a dress by designer Naeem Khan worn by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Other noteworthy sections include several dozen art works by Indian artists living and working in the US. In a series of photographs from The Arch Motel Project by Chiraag Bhakta and Mark Hewko, Indian motel owners are depicted living and working in their motels. Also included in the exhibition are three photographs from Unsuitable Girls, a series by Anjali Bhagrava and Swati Khurana that explores sexist stereotypes of Indians.
“These are some of the pieces in the exhibition that most resonate with me as they touch mind, body and spirit,” said Momaya. “They are blended into the narrative itself and comment on the portrayal of Indians in America, some aspect of the Indian American experience or Indian American identity.”
Of course “Beyond Bollywood” has not developed apart from the current political climate. Debates on immigration continue to rage in America. Momaya believes that, by fostering understanding of Indian American history, the exhibition will contextualize current immigration policy debates.
“The exhibition talks about a number of Indian immigrants who fought for US citizenship and still combat stereotypes today,” she said. “I hope reading these stories will add context to what is being debated today.”
Momaya also hopes that the exhibition will be a starter of conversations—conversations that take place in all settings between people of many backgrounds.
“…it’s my belief that an exhibition isn’t finished when it opens to the public but rather is just the beginning of an expanding and extended sharing,” Momaya said. “We don’t know where these conversations will go, but perhaps it will give people a different way in, a more heartfelt way in, and counter the popular stereotypes they see in the media.”
