IAM Oral History
The India Association of Minnesota [IAM], is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to community service since its inception in 1973. IAM aims to build a strong and cohesive community of Asian Indian origin people, through its three-prong mission of Culture, Charity, and Connections.
Seeking to build bridges of understanding that promote cultural exchange and preserve our heritage, IAM started its History Initiative in the early 1990s, with significant support and encouragement from the Minnesota Historical Society, especially Shri Jim Fogerty, then head of documentary programs of MNHS.
The scope of the initiative includes all Minnesotans of Asian Indian origin, in the Twin Cities area and Outstate, including Language organizations (Minnesota Malayalee Association), Religious organizations (Sikh Society, Hindu Society), Service organizations (School of India for Languages and Culture, India Association of Minnesota), Art organizations (Katha Dance Theatre, Indian Music Society of Minnesota, Ragamala Dance Company), Diaspora (Guyanese East Indians), among others.
PROJECT 1 (1994)
First-Generation Indian Immigrants of Minnesota
Completed in 1994. The inaugural oral history project documenting the pioneering Asian Indian immigrants who arrived in Minnesota in the 1960s and 1970s.
PROJECT 2 (1998)
Children of First-Generation Indian Immigrants to Minnesota
Completed in 1998. Documenting the experiences, identities, and perspectives of second-generation Indian Americans raised in Minnesota.
PROJECT 3 (2003)
Outstate Indian Immigrants of Minnesota
Completed in 2003. Chronicling the lives and contributions of Indian families living in Greater Minnesota outside the Twin Cities metro.
PROJECT 4 (2006)
School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC)
Completed in 2006. Preserving the history of SILC, nurturing cultural education, language learning, and heritage for Indian-American youth.
PROJECT 5 (2012)
India Association of Minnesota (IAM)
Completed in 2012. Celebrating the history, milestones, and leadership of IAM from its founding in 1973 through decades of community building.
PROJECT 6 (2014)
Indian Music Society of Minnesota (IMSOM)
Completed in 2014. Documenting the journey of classical Indian music, concerts, and cultural enrichment fostered by IMSOM.
PROJECT 7 (2016)
Ragamala Dance Company
Completed in 2016. Acclaimed as one of the Indian diaspora’s leading Bharatanatyam dance ensembles, based in Minneapolis.
PROJECT 8 (2018)
Hindu Society of Minnesota (HSMN)
Completed in 2018. Preserving the community history, temple construction in Maple Grove, and spiritual heritage of HSMN.
PROJECT 9 (2020)
Sikh Society of Minnesota (SSOM)
Completed in 2020. Chronicling the Sikh community, Gurdwara establishment in Bloomington, and seva across Minnesota.
PROJECT 10 (2022)
Minnesota Malayalee Association (MMA)
Completed in 2022. Documenting the vibrant Kerala cultural heritage, language, and community initiatives of MMA.
PROJECT 11 (2024)
Guyanese East Indians of Minnesota (GEIM)
Completed in 2024. Exploring the rich heritage, migration journey, and community life of Guyanese East Indians in Minnesota.
