Masum Momaya | The crowdsourced ‘desi'

The Indian American Heritage Project initiated by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Washington DC, chronicles the experience of immigrants from India and Indian Americans in the US—charting histories that go back to the 1800s to now, when Bollywood and yoga are the mnemonics for Indian culture. Part of this mammoth effort is Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, an exhibition of works that represent contributions of Indian immigrants to every conceivable aspect of American life. If there is a rare photograph of Swami Vivekananda’s visit, there is also Naeem Khan’s famous gown worn by Michelle Obama in 2012. Curator Masum Momaya talks about finding rare works, collaborating with a large number of people and the show’s currency in today’s US. Edited excerpts:

How did the idea of putting the exhibition together originate?

What were the efforts that went into putting this together? How is your team structured?

I am the sole curator of the exhibition and had a few interns serving as curatorial assistants. I also worked with two exhibition designers, a registrar and exhibits developer (who cared for the art and the objects), two development (fundraising) specialists, several marketing/PR staff, legal and administrative staff who helped secure rights and permissions, and a handful of people who printed the graphics, built cases for objects, framed and mounted artwork and installed everything in the gallery. Also, there were academic and community-based advisers who provided input throughout the project. All in all, it’s taken a very diverse group of people to put together this 5,000-sq. ft exhibition that will show for more than a year at the Smithsonian and travel around the country for five years thereafter.

The Indian American community here is diverse as America itself and thus everyone who contributed added a piece to the mosaic that is the exhibition. This was truly a “crowdsourced” effort in many ways.

What was the most challenging exhibit to locate/find?

Given the debates on immigration that have raged in the US, how important do you think this exhibition is in the larger political climate?

As a curator, I think it’s important for museums and cultural institutions to share history associated with current political and public policy debates, to add context.

We think many visitors will be surprised to learn that Indian Americans started arriving in the US in the late 1800s. They worked in lumber mills and on railroads alongside Chinese immigrants. The exhibition talks about a number of Indian immigrants who fought for US citizenship and still combat stereotypes today. It’s a very important story to tell, which is why immigration is one of the seven themes in the exhibition. I hope reading these stories will add context to what is being debated today.

How do you spread the word about the exhibit and get people interested in coming to visit?

What kind of impact do you expect the exhibit to have when it opens?

The exhibition shows three types of contributions: political struggles that were for the Indian community but also that go beyond, to workers’ rights, women’s rights, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights, professions beyond the stereotypical Indian careers, doctors, taxi drivers, while also acknowledging the contributions in those areas, and contributions in the areas of food, fashion, film, music, and entertainment.

I want visitors to walk away with an understanding of the vast and deep contributions of Indian immigrants and Indian Americans in shaping US history.

Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation opens on 27 February, at the Smithsonian, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, Washington DC. After a year here, it will travel to 15 sites throughout the US.