DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
2018 Draws to a Close and IAHM Is Reborn As NIAM
(Left) Tech entrepreneur Jai Shekhawat addresses the audience. (Right) Jai introduces the legendary Sam Pitroda
(Left to Right) Sam Pitroda, NIAM Board President Dr. Padma Rangaswamy, NIAM Associate Board President, Sanjiv Gajiwala
(Left to Right) Mrs. Anu Pitroda, NIAM Board Member Lakshmi Menon, Sam Pitroda, NIAM Board Member Amita Banerji.
On Saturday, December 1, 2018, the positive energy in the room was palpable as the Chicago based "Indo-American Heritage Museum" ( IAHM ) celebrated its rebranding as the "National Indo-American Museum" ( NIAM ).

Members of the museum’s Board of Trustees, associate board, advisory council, board alumni, long-time patrons and their distinguished guests gathered at a downtown brunch to celebrate the milestone event and the work that the museum has being doing since its establishment in 2008.
"This is an idea whose time has come," said NIAM Advisory Council member, entrepreneur and Field Museum trustee Jai Shekhawat.

Telecom legend Sam Pitroda added, "Chicago has very deep roots with the Indian community and so I’m very glad that NIAM was established here and not anywhere else."

( During this period of transition, we are doing business as "Indo-American Heritage Museum." )
Ethnic Dialogue
From middle schoolers to senior citizens, NIAM Ethnic Dialogue sessions this past quarter engaged audiences in the city and the suburbs in discussion and exploration of various aspects of Indian American life.
  • October 16: Padma Rangaswamy guided 75 middle-schoolers from the World Religions class at Montini High School in Lombard in learning how Hinduism is practiced by Chicago’s Indian Americans, in their homes and in public spaces such as temples and through religious celebrations in the community

  • October 23: "Are there end-of-life attitudes that are unique to Hindu families?" caregivers wanted to know when Lakshmi Menon and Raja Nadimpalli presented The Beliefs and Traditions of Hinduism at the Glenview Village Hall. The program, organized by the Diversity Committee of the North Shore Senior Center, was attended by social workers, healthcare workers and community members. Exploring beliefs, attitudes and customs among Chicago’s Hindus, caregivers gained useful insights to help guide interaction with their Hindu clients.

  • December 14: NIAM Trustee Happie Datt, volunteer Nita Gangwal and youngsters from GEMS World Academy in Chicago once again enjoyed a NIAM Ethnic Dialogue session. Says Jay Annadurai, GEMS Individual and Societies Teacher, "I’ve loved bringing my students to the museum and Devon Street to learn more about India! What a great visit (last spring). Dorothie was wonderfully warm, knowledgeable and kind to the students. They loved the experience."
In Partnership
NIAM collaborated with the Chicago Cultural Alliance in a new After School Matters flagship teen program Heritage-Community-Identity designed to expose teens to the work of museum professionals in Chicagoland’s diverse communities through active engagement with local cultural centers and museums. Speaking to the teens about NIAM and its programs, Padma Rangaswamy discussed how ethnic museums were ideally situated at the intersection of cultural curiosity, personal interests, professional training and volunteerism.

On October 6 parents and children of the Kalapriya Center for Performing Arts learned about community heritage and NIAM programs from Padma Rangaswamy during the Festival of Contemporary Indian Performing Arts held at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago.
Upcoming Events
Take the whole family on a visit to the University of Illinois and catch

From the Sub-Continent to the Prairie: Stories of Immigration and Identity at
The Spurlock Museum
600 S. Gregory Street, Urbana, IL

NIAM, a proud partner, has items on loan for the exhibition which opens Friday, January 25, and runs through May 2019 .


Join the NIAM Volunteer Family

Our volunteers share their stories and experiences as Indian Americans with participants in NIAM’s core programs. Sign up here and enjoy introducing visitors to the life of the community through our Ethnic Dialogue sessions, Taste of India and Sacred Sites tours and other specially scheduled events.
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National Indo-American Museum
708-658-4246