Before 2008, of the 130 million objects that made up the Smithsonian National Collection -- an exhaustive catalog of artefacts and digital records of American history -- not one represented Indian Americans. This is what makes the ongoing exhibition, Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, not just groundbreaking, but long overdue.
Bringing together photographs, films and artefacts that not only exemplify the contributions of Indian immigrants and Indian Americans to the US but also tell a larger story in and of themselves, it is a multifaceted showcase ranging from tributes to trailblazers like Indian Youth Against Racism -- a cluster of Columbia University students who were instrumental in raising penalties for crimes against 'Dotbusters', a notorious hate group that targeted South Asians in the late 1980s -- to the gold, strapless gown worn by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2012, designed by Indian-born Naeem Khan.
"Despite the fact that Indians, who helped build the nation's railroads and farms, have been here since 1790 and now number more than three million, we've been largely left out of this country's history," says Dr Masum Momaya, the exhibition's curator. "Beyond Bollywood marks a step towards imprinting that history onto America's collective conscience," she adds.
The title aims to get viewers to look beyond the stereotypes of the country that many non-Indians still believe. "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... my intention as a curator has been to focus on cultural, political and professional contributions that Indian immigrants and Indian Americans have made to shaping US history," Dr Momaya adds.
The 5,000-square-foot exhibit, studded with thalis that serve as funky frames for statistics, pays homage to the Indian community's countless faces. It is slated for a five-year journey that includes stops in libraries, community centers and museums in 15 cities across the United States.
Beyond Bollywood will be on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, till August 16, 2015.
