October-December 2019 Newsletter

Festivities and FunFare as Fall brings Cheer in the Air @NIAM

Hope to see you soon at the...

NIAM Annual GALA

Mark your calendars, book your tickets and get ready for an evening of GlaZZle at the National Indo-American Museum Gala on  Sunday  November 10th, 2019 at the Westin, Lombard. Our guest of honor Indra Nooyi , former CEO of Pepsico and Board member at Amazon, will be inducted into the National Indo-American Museum Hall of Fame. Incredible silent auction items will rev up bidding fever and Northwestern University’s Brown Sugar , the nation's premiere South Asian co-ed a cappella group, will entertain with their refreshing mix of music ranging from Bollywood classics and Punjabi pop to American rock and R&B. A limited number of tickets are available for a special private reception with Indra Nooyi who is consistently ranked among the world’s most powerful women. Avoid disappointment and get your tickets now! Save the Date and see you there!  #NIAMGALA2019 #NIAMhappens

Buy tickets here

Cricket Mela NIAM’s Cricket Mela 2019 has been called off due to inclement weather. The fields at Skokie Sports Park are waterlogged and unsuitable for a community event. We look forward to reuniting in summer 2020.    A special thank you to The Chicago Cultural Alliance, the Midwest Cricket Conference & the Skokie Park District, our donors, volunteers, funders, the NIAM team and the players for the extraordinary support and incredible hard work they put in to make this event possible. With your help Cricket Mela will be bigger and better than ever before. HOWZZAT!   #NIAMcricketMELA

Ethnic Dialogue Bridging the intergenerational/ intercultural gap: The Gandhi Peace Program The National Indo-American Museum is all about preserving and sharing the rich diverse history of Indian Americans. Connecting those stories within a multicultural environment, bringing them to life in the current context, and engaging the next generation helps keep Indian American heritage relevant and meaningful.   The  Gandhi Peace Program and its mission to bring  Bapuji’s teachings of peace and non-violence to Chicago's public schools is one way NIAM works to achieve this very challenging goal.  We were invited to kick off our very first session on October 1st, at Chicago’s Holy Family School. Follow us on this journey and its many colorful stories....  #NIAMgandhipeaceprogram #NIAMission #NIAMnews  Above left: NIAM board member and staff bring Gandhiji's teachings to life in the classroom. Right: Consul General of India, Chicago, Mr. Sudhakar Dalela, introduces our work at a special event at the Art Institute to mark Gandhiji's 150th birth anniversary on October 2nd, 2019.

Forging links

It was an hour of lively give and take when David Chih, Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) director, staff and students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign stopped in for an Ethnic Dialogue session on Saturday, September 28th during their exploration of Devon Avenue and the Indian American experience.  NIAM’s resident historian Padma Rangaswamy and program coordinator Jitesh Jaggi placed their personal immigration stories in the context of the larger history of the community and its growth. Students were struck by the parallels to immigrant experiences of their own communities and impressed by the diversity in the Indian American diaspora. #NIAMoutreach #NIAMenrich

Taste Of India

Food walk journeys return next spring It was about a lot more than food at our five spring and summer sold-out Taste of India guided tours. As NIAM docents led guests through the streets of the historic Devon avenue area to sample street food, they enjoyed first-hand the rich diversity of Indian American culture. Discussions about history, community life, and regional diversity in food and traditions made their NIAM food walk journey down Devon an enriching experience in more ways than one!  To arrange a special tour for your group email info@niam.org #NIAMinspire #NIAMheritage

Here's a glimpse of the incredible pani puri experience...

Coming soon... Watch your inbox for exciting details about what’s ahead as we look back on a momentous 2019 and prepare for a grand launch of the Umang and Paragi Patel Center of the National Indo-American Museum in Lombard. #NIAMnews

NIAM & YOU !!!

Your support... #NIAMission NIAM is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit. Our work highlights the experiences and contributions of Indian Americans. NIAM draws its strength from its deep roots in the community and offers volunteers opportunities to help us tell the community’s story and share its culture.  Donations from supporters like you fuel this important work. We thank you for recognizing and supporting us.  -- Donate here --

Join the NIAM family #NIAMenrich NIAM is growing exponentially. This past year alone, we expanded our existing Board; increased our online engagements; hosted several successful events;  and  we went ‘National’!  All of this was only possible thanks to a dedicated team of Board members, staff and volunteers. We could use  your  time, talents and skills in the many miles ahead of us and would love for you to join this enthusiastic family!! -- Sign up here --

Stay tuned for updates on our website, newsletters and social media pages! #NIAMhappens

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