{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/3n20c4tx1w/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Narasimhan, N.D. [and] Thara"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/252/original/HPL_ArchiveBannerCDM2.jpg?1738348845","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Publisher"]},"value":{"en":["Foundation for Indian Studies"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en\"\u003eCopyright Not Evaluated \u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Foundation for India Studies, Houston, Texas.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Houston Public Library Special Collections"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Dr. N.D. Narasimhan [and] Thara Narasimhan (interviewee)","Kirthi Narasimhan, Rashmi Venkatnarayan (interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2015-06-28 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["eng (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Dr. N.D. Narasimhan and Thara Narasimhan interviewed about culture, family, and educational background, as well as migration, contributions to the community, and work experiences."]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["digital recording, sound"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["Houston (Tex.) (geographic term)","Oral histories (topical term)","Immigrants (topical term)","Doctors (topical term)","Community development (topical term)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["indoamerican"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Moving Image"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Dr. N.D. Narasimhan and Thara Narasimhan interviewed about culture, family, and educational background, as well as migration, contributions to the community, and work experiences."]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en\"\u003eCopyright Not Evaluated \u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Foundation for India Studies, Houston, Texas.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Houston Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Houston Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/252/original/HPL_ArchiveBannerCDM2.jpg?1738348845","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/364/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-8gf5th_1698433330.jpg?1698418930","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - FIS-OH0041.mp4"]},"duration":2985.24893,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/364/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-8gf5th_1698433330.jpg?1698418930","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-houstonlibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/210/364/original/FIS-OH0041.mp4?1698418926","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":2985.24893,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"come to Houston to get jobs. So it’s easy to get job, plus the weather suited me very well; it’s hot and mild, not very cold in the winter. So ever since I have been in Houston, since 1974.\n\nKN: So what was the year that you actually came to the US then?\n\nNN: 1967.\n\nKN: 1967, okay. Wow! And I guess to ask the same question to you, how was your formative years in education, tell us a little bit about that background in India?\n\nTN: I was born in Chennai, brought up in Chennai, lived in Chennai for half of my years now and rest of it I have lived in the United States. I have lived only in two places; one in Chennai, one in Houston, which makes it very simple, but both the places have been a great kind of an experience for me.\nEspecially in Chennai, India, while I was growing up, I came from a very conservative family, and then, although with that background they put me in a convent, so my first few years was education in a convent education. And then I joined the theosophical society, which is aligned to Kalakshetra, Besant Theosophical High School, and those two places, I learned a lot about -- I had so much respect for interfaith, basically, going to a convent, transitioning into a theosophical society, where everyday there will be five religion prayers and also a lot of culture.\n\nKalakshetra is the headquarters of all Bharatanatyam, music; we had stalwarts of all the past legends who use to be teachers in that school. And both my parents were very involved in a cultural kind of an activity. My mother was extremely kind of active person in the field of sports, in the field of Karnataka music. She had the first tennis court, where Vijay Amritraj played State Tournament and we became a very big tennis family. \nMy grandmother was a tennis player in a small village called Vandikal. We come from Vandikal, Tamil Nadu, and my father and mother are first cousins, so that made all our relatives very common relatives, coming from the same family, very family-oriented, and we almost, for many years, joint family system, so that way family values were very important while I was raised.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=134.0,288.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nAnd then, I wanted to tell you guys how did I meet my husband, could be one of your questions, but after my schooling years I went to Queen Mary’s College, and from there I went to Madras Medical College, where I did Master’s in Microbiology. I wanted to do MBBS, but I was a little underage when I first applied, after pre-university. So I continued my education, finished my Master’s in Microbiology, and parents were little bit wanting me to get married. At that time when your education is done, that’s the next step that they look forward to. \nBut then I told them that I would like to either work in a lab or have my own clinical lab. I was fortunate enough to do a startup on a clinical lab. I had 45","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=288.0,337.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"doctors who was referring patients to me. I had biochemistry professor who joined me as a partner and I did microbiology and biochemistry, of seven years of experience there. \nSo then it so happened my sister got married in 1974 and her brother -- like he said, his brother was also there in Kentucky and Chattanooga, Tennessee, they advertised on ‘India Abroad’, so I should say that I met my husband on the columns of ‘India Abroad’.\n\nKN: So just tell, what is ‘India Abroad’?\n\nTN: It’s a newspaper where the people advertise for brides and grooms, so you can do a match. If you are so many years old, you say, looking for a bride with at least -- a good educated bride; that is what’s the request by the groom’s side.\n\nNN: Plus, sometimes they put caste on it.\n\nTN: They put -- yeah, Hindu and all that.\n\nNN: Hindu, yeah.\n\nTN: And simultaneously, my sister had advertised kind of, she is a postgraduate and we are looking for a nice groom. So those two advertisements were next to each other in the column, so they said, oh, we have advertised and they looked on the other side, they wanted the same kind of a requirement matched the advertisement.\n\nKN: So you guys -- who connected the dots?\n\nTN: My sister and his brother. \nKN: Okay.\n\nRV: That’s what siblings are for, right?\nKN: Yeah, apparently.\n\nTN: Yes.\n\nKN: So they just took the same newspaper and connected the dots. \n\nTN: Yeah, she called each other, they contacted, and my sister said that so-and-so will be arriving in Bombay, and he said so-and-so will be in Chennai, but in India -- when America, when the boys come they will go show them to three, four girls, which is -- it was pretty --\nKN: So did you meet three, four girls?\n\nNN: More than three, four.\n\nRV: Now we have that on camera.\n\nKN: So what made --\nRV: Why Thara Narasimhan?\n\nKN: Yeah, exactly, what made mom. So for me, these are my parents and this is my wife.\n\nRV: And my beautiful in-laws.\n\nKN: So what made you choose -- like how did this happen, like what -- tell us about that story?\n\nNN: It’s difficult. Father said, let’s first -- when I arrived in Mumbai, father had already advertised in an Indian newspaper also, so we went to Bangalore, that’s where we -- our parents came from Bangalore. So we went there looking for girls and probably nothing was suitable. So we returned, and then she came to Mumbai. So we met in Mumbai, and then we had one lunch, right, one lunch or dinner?\n\nTN: Yeah, Pritam Restaurant.\n\nNN: Pritam Restaurant. Then I said, okay, that’s it.\n\nKN: So that must have been quite an experience for you, right?\n\nTN: Yeah, I was really kind of a little bit hesitant about this boy meeting girl kind of a thing, but yet my parents said, it’s okay, just to go to your -- this was our friend, family friend who invited me to Bombay. And he called me and said, just come and visit me. This boy just can come and meet you and go, it doesn’t matter, but you are coming to my house and stay. \nWhen we were there we called their family. He came and met, and then he said, he wanted to have an idea as to what I had in mind too, so that is why the meeting in Pritam was arranged so that he could really talk to me openly. And that is how it just got -- and destiny is always there, you count on it, supposing if you are destined to marry somebody, they will come right in front of you, appear at the right time.\n\nNN: I was ordained.\n\nTN: Ordained.\n\nNN: Like you were ordained to marry her.\n\nKN: There you go! So I am curious, one of the topics of your guys’ first meeting must have been coming to the US.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=337.0,594.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nTN: Yes, of course, it was there. And since I knew my sister lived here, she got married in ’74 and this was in ’81, our marriage took place six years after. Basically I did want to come and study here too. I did my GRE, TOEFL exams and all that when I was in India soon after I finished my Masters. But getting into a University my parents said get married and go get married and go, it was a normal kind of a thing for parents to feel bad about young girls going to India at that time, now you see, you know, the better kind of understanding of all this. Before in ’80s it was just, you know, so, I said, well, at least I am busy doing what I am doing, so I didn’t worry about it, and that was one of the things he asked me, are you coming there just to get a visa, are you there for some other purpose?\n\nRV: So he was taking care of the immigration officer’s post himself. But that was obviously so you have been in the US before getting married and you said you arrived in Kentucky, so what was that like? Back in the day to come to Kentucky and be by yourself, what were the challenges you faced?\n\nNN: Oh challenges? Biggest challenge was food. You cannot get vegetarian food there, anything you buy there it had beef fat at that time. So it was extremely difficult and I used to eat three-four apple pie for lunch sometime just to fill the stomach.\n\nKN: Oh wow!\n\nTN: And one more thing about students coming from India in fall, Northeast gets very cold and the very first few winters they have little problems like skin becomes so dry and the cold rarely gets to them. So those were the -- he felt homesick a little bit.\n\nNN: Yeah, definitely! I mean it’s cold and you have to study hard. I came on a Tata scholarship, so the first semester they gave me money, so I had to take full credit. 12 hours of credit in the graduate school is very tough, so I had to study all the time, study, study, study.\n\nRV: Right, and during your studies what was your interpersonal relationships with the rest of the students, did you feel like you were an outsider, did you blend in well?\n\nNN: No, they were friendly, most Americans were quite friendly, prepared to help and we were prepared to help. We were interactive. Sometimes we discussed problems, questions and exams, things like that. So there was no problem, they were very cooperative.\n\nRV: Right! So would you say that that helped you envision a life for yourself in the US that did you think, okay, this is a society where I can blend in and have a life here?\n\nNN: No, when I came, I came only for PhD; I was not planning to settle down. Initially my plan was to get a PhD, earn some money and go back, but that didn’t work. When I came to Texas A\u0026M to get the scholarship, I had to apply for Green Card, they said, you have to be a resident to get money, the scholarship. So I had to apply for Green Card and then they gave me scholarship and the student days were okay there. No problem.\n\nKN: And so how were you able to build a sense of community being by yourself? Did your --\n\nNN: No, there were a lot of Indian students in A\u0026M and in Kentucky too, they helped a lot. In fact, when I arrived in Lexington from New York, I was met by my brother’s friend at the airport. He took me over to his house, fed me, took me and met the dean of foreign student, they will be always there. He was a dean to the Foreign Student Affairs, so I met him and then they arrange your residence et cetera, et cetera and fees et cetera.\n\nKN: So it was nice to have almost a little bit of a support net?\n\nNN: Correct, correct! And this is also with relatives, strangers, ultimately, and is that something that would have happened in India, like would you have that sort of social support if you were going to an out-of-state or is it more family based?\n\nNN: You went to Hyderabad, how did you -- your mom to come over there.\n\nKN: Yeah, I guess if I were to answer that question there was a bit of a support network mostly from the school, but outside of that I would say it was family that we relied on to kind of help set us up and get us going.\n\nTN: Let me interrupt here, it is the -- America also had Students Exchange Program, the point when I was growing up and studying and I was in college when there we had one American student from New York who came and stayed with us for a semester.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=594.0,907.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nShe went to college school to experience what it is like to be in India as a child student growing up with the family. So we adopted her and she has still become a part of our family, now after 30-45 years we still are one and she came to experience with us. I would give a small thing that how we struggled when we come here about vegetarianism and all that, she struggled the other way around, she missed meat so much that my mom used to bring food from outside and give it to her which was all curry powder, she will wash it, take off the hard part and eat, you know, they were so, you know, so out of place. Except for that she blended very well, she learned sitar a little bit over there when she was there, and of course, it is family oriented, but they also come to the school, college with you to study. They learn a lot, so either way it works, the human heart is the same and the culture is always the same when you travel from one different country to another.\n\nRV: Right, yeah, so it sounds like you have had a very interesting childhood in India and all throughout your formative years and from what I have listened from you and as we have seen of course, you are a very strong and independent woman, so for you in the 1980s to come to America and be an Indian independent woman here, what was that like for you? \n\nTN: Initially and especially coming to Texas, it’s a very conservative type of a state also. So the acceptance here grew slowly along with the community growing up, before they had a little bit of a concept of who Indians were. Many years ago they even thought people in India had -- we had snakes running around, we have elephants going wild and stuff like that. That was the impression of India, but later it changed, especially Indians being very highly educated, the way we have our culture, when you go to work, you give your 100%, if not even more; so that way we had lot of respect from the community when I came here.\n\nSo as far as women issues were concerned, America themselves was struggling for the rights of women to be on the top. But at any point in my life, especially with the background that I had with certain of my concepts and both religion and social, I felt women were highly respected in India in the Vedas.\n\nWhen you go back I got deep into the studying of the Veda two times in my life that one was my uncle who gave me a great kind of a value as far as Vishishtadvaita philosophy was concerned I wanted to learn go deep into it to know more as to who we are, what we do? When I studied Comparative -- as I said I was in the Theosophical High School, the interest in me provoked me to go learn more deep about it. So whenever the issue of equality of women or trying to get that women being more -- I said women are already exalted in our Vedic Scriptures, Matru Devo Bhava, that is respect women first, Matha and then the Pitha comes. Not because there is a kind of a competition here, but the mother’s grace is more profound when it comes to certain things.\n\nSo as a woman even everything that we have got in our values exalted us, so I said, why fight for something we already have. So with that concept I felt good wherever I was, and even if they had to say something about even superiority in a marriage or whatever, it is always when you welcome Mahalakshmi to your place, which is Goddess of Wealth, everything else is in that wealth itself. Your child, you have many different forms of Lakshmis, that way I am very proud of being a woman and to support women’s causes, I am there to say we are stronger and I feel good about it.\n\nRV: That’s wonderful! So, yeah, and also from what we have understood, since you have been here longer than she has been here and was there something that you learned from him when you first moved here?\n\nTN: I learned from him a lot. First he taught me driving.\n\nRV: Which is so essential like you all know.\n\nTN: I ventured into it. He gave me the independence to do kind of things that I decide to do, I want to do, get a job, and then probably study.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=907.0,1211.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nHe was my coach in Math and Physics which I had to go through Houston Community College which provided that for me to certify for my medical sciences here. So that way it helped me. He has been a pillar of support always, very calm, very patient; I am just the opposite.\n\nKN: So maybe we should turn the question to your way and what have you learned over the years from Thara Ma?\n\nNN: I have learned a lot about Hinduism. When I came in a way I knew very little about Hinduism. I would be frank on that one. She taught me a lot about Hinduism and then I started learning and -- many people would ask me question at the university about Hinduism but I couldn’t answer properly but I learned from her, that’s a major thing from her.\n\nKN: Oh wow! And so I am curious, I – to switch topics a little bit, you guys – you were married now and you arrived in 1981, if we fast forward to today I can list off probably about almost up to about 10 organizations that you have been involved in over the years, Bharathi Kalai Manram, Hindus of Greater Houston, Meenakshi Temple, the Janmashtami celebration, the radio program, there are just so many different activities that you got in yourself involved in, I am curious and not only that you are the president, the chairman, the head of each of these organizations, how does that come about after landing in the US in 1981?\n\nTN: It took me a little time to get the head start on those things because the first four years, I was concentrating on my employment, I was working at the Hermann Hospital and then I kind of worked for an Urgent Care clinic and then Medi Clinic and then I got with the two doctors who owned the clinic; I started working for them since 1983, two years after I came I could get a very good job because I qualified myself as a radiology tech also which as being a microbiology tech.\n\nSo with that background I have been serving the same company for 33 years now and I was concentrating purely to concentrate on that. Then it came about when I was pregnant and I had Kirthi, the first two years of that thing was I was more a caring mother working part-time so that I can be home with him when he was a child. Later, I saw as being – kind of a – his being a single child for us he missed having siblings but he loved to be with his friends and also this is an opportunity for me to take my child to these cultural organizations not only will he learn culture but he will have lot of friends.\n\nSo this participation in organizations gave us opportunity to mix with everybody and my basic background in India as I told you my father and mother were very involved in the community, they are helpful to everyone and anybody. You ask them for help and they’ll go out of the way to help you, so I learned this as a child. And service is something that you can really give service to anyone at anytime, at the needed point it’s very important, and that is, meaning of life also falls under that thing.\n\nSo with that I kind of not wanting to go up anywhere, about anything or it so happened that I joined Bharathi Kalai Manram as a committee member and then as it progressed then I became the secretary, and then one time, when the president had to move out of Houston, his job got him transferred so by default as a vice-president, I became the president. But then since I was very much involved in organizing things and make sure that we bring the best of programs, my experience came about in Bharathi Kalai Manram as the president.\n\nAnd eventually I also as he was growing up, everything centered around bringing the best to your kid which my parents gave me. I wanted to do a shloka class for young children at my house so that he can also learn, and along with that the other kids also could really recite. So one day they got so enthusiastic at that I said, if you all recite good I will take you to Khambhati’s radio program so you all can recite. So they all perfected it and then in the next two weeks, they were loudly chanting Sanskrit shlokas with diction absolutely perfect, then I took him to the radio station, the first time I met him and he was very impressed that children were coming up to recite it live on the studio.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=1211.0,1504.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nIt’s when he told me, why don’t you take active part here? After a few months I stepped in when Dr. Bala Iyer had initiated the Meenakshi Temple segment. And also, going to Meenakshi Temple was every 15 days, we used to sponsor a Pradosh Puja and that is one way that Kirthi could also come to that temple, grew up in that temple, get to know all the priests, he will walk into their house, and then he feels so much at home. They know what he likes, so they will be prepared that Kirthi was coming and he had his favorite food. So that way we got culturally growing up along with kind of the kid learning all this. It’s when I even started working with Padmakant Khambhati do the radio program on Hinduism and especially the Meenakshi Temple segment. That is almost about 12 to 13 years now. And Khambhatiji also introduced me to the Hindus of Greater Houston. At that time it’s the first time they were doing Janmashtami every year for the past 25 years now, but at that point I think 10 years ago, it’s when they registered it a Non-Profit Organization in the State of Texas. \n\nAt that time they wanted to form a committee. So I joined there as a joint secretary and we used to do Janmashtami and I was in contact with all the Hindu organizations. I did the booth for them so that on the Janmashtami day I coordinated the booth spaces and registrations and all that. So that was my experience with the Hindus of Greater Houston, and I also since I do kind of my father worked for ‘The Hindu’ newspaper which is a national newspaper of India and I used to write journalism kind of a thing whenever I have read about it, I like the editorials, I would give comments, so I became active reviewing most of the dance performances and concerts when it happens in Houston and that is my hobby, it’s nothing that I am professional in it or good at it, but that is where I attempted to do that also.\n\nKN: All right! Yeah, well, I definitely think we can -- as the Houston Community leans on you to write the articles for all of the upcoming art engagements and –\n\nTN: Most of the times yes.\n\nKN:","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=1504.0,1650.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"them be the judge how good you are, but I think an organization even today you are going after this interview for an event with Samskriti, can you tell us a little bit about that organization.\n\nTN: Yeah, this happened in 1997. Rathna Kumar is a very popular Houston Ambassador of India Arts. She and I were casually talking and she said, we need to do a Non-Profit Organization that brings special program. It’s one of a kind to be presented to the Houston audience and she said, what do you think? I said, no, we should definitely do this where we will be kind of an organization that brings in certain special programs from India, from all over the world. We registered it in the State of Texas and then we presented a lot of programs every year right from having 150 children present live The Ramayana, and I think he also participated in it as Ravana.\n\nKN: Yeah, that’s right.\n\nTN: Besides we think that we also involved the children and she directed it herself and she did lot of productions and I became a part of it as a committee member again, and then I became a strong supporter that Anil Kumar and Rathna requested me to be the President, so I have been there for the last few years, and we bring seminars, conferences, Kuchipudi Conference and we also do one which was involved by Vatsa Kumar. He used to present some of the cultures or ancient sculptures and did lot of research on it. We used to do seminars and conferences on it. We have done Osceola and we have done Kings of India and these are some of the topics which are very interesting done at the Museum of Fine Arts. So those are the things that we sponsor through Samskriti and I am very proud that the organization is doing that for the past, almost 20 years.\n\nKN: Wow!\n\nRV: It’s very cool!\n\nTN: Yeah.\n\nRV: Can you tell us a little bit about your achievements or milestones that you are proud of?\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=1650.0,1800.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nNN: My milestone is I spent over 30 years with KBR, that’s I think – I never left the company once I joined it, I never left it.\n\nKN: Wow!\n\nRV: That’s a commitment.\n\nKN: And what about being accomplished to someone who has such a social life?\n\nNN: I try to help her in all her activities.\n\nTN: Yes, he stands behind me through the way and encourages me to do that. And not only that, let me tell you, there was a point that my father and mother came on immigration here. He lived with the grandchildren, spent some time with my sister in Philadelphia and some time here with Kirthi, during his birthday and all that. And my father had a heart attack and he passed away in our house. It took me a little bit of a shock, but to get over all that since he was young and my niece, both my niece and nephew who were – my niece was visiting from India, they were all 2 or 3 year old. He just said, take the car, go to Florida. I said, you want me to drive by myself? He pushed me and giving me the confidence that yes, you can drive all the way from Texas, all the way to Florida, taking the kids it will be good for your mom and also to get over that. Within the few months after my father passed away, he gave me that confidence that I could go about driving by myself, taking all the kids and family. So that way he is very supportive, very patient at the same time, he will give me all the strength and I take it from him in all that.\n\nKV: Yeah, it’s very sweet.\n\nRV: So, I think I am also on a personal level; I am interested in knowing about how it was to raise a child in the US, being first generation Indians, having Kirthi in the US, brining him up and watching him grow in this society, how was that like?\n\nNN: Go ahead.\n\nTN: Yeah, it was a kind of you know, you have to at","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=1800.0,1927.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"every level of their growing up, the peer pressure, and there were questions in his school about the religion you follow, the teachers themselves invite for the middle school, history books, said one thing, they didn’t know how to express it to the students. I used to volunteer quite a bit in his school; because those formative years I was only working part time. So I had time to go and work with all that. And beside that we concentrated on his tennis, and about his tennis, I would like his dad to say that because he is the one who really encouraged him to get into sports.\n\nNN: Well, every weekend we had a Honda Odyssey. First one it was a Premier, drove the car on Friday night, take off, and she used to book the hotel. Every tournament, every corner of Texas, he has played. And come back Sunday night, Monday morning go to work.\n\nTN: So he dedicated himself in encouraging him, giving him the necessary coaching, and he would be behind and developed his sports and Kirthi can tell you a little bit about himself on that.\n\nNN: I think one think we didn’t do right was give him a proper physical trainer, because we didn’t know much about tennis, of course, she has played tennis, I have not played tennis.\n\nTN: Yeah, competitive tennis was something different.\n\nNN: If we had given him a proper physical trainer, then he would have been probably playing like Federer now.\n\nKN: Well, I don’t know about that, guys! I will say I was very fortunate for my parents; they had encouraged me in a discipline in a sport that just elicited such positive activities. It was so nice to have parents who are very encouraging. I think it was unique even for Indian parents at that, because Indian parents I think not to be to stereotypical, but are always focused that their kids study, that’s the path to success. And I know that my parents were, when I came down to it, they said, be positive, okay, don’t worry, if you need to go to practice, go to practice and you know everything will be alright as a result of that. So I have to thank you guys for that encouragement.\n\nTN: Well tennis, the kind of the competitive tennis taught us lot of things that give us an outlook on life itself changed. What you see, every game is kind of you can win or lose, and what is to be a losing when you have all the things in it and still let go off the game. So that way made us better persons, these sport activities is one aspect. And then the second aspect is, yes, there are many things that we have to learn from this American society.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=1927.0,2102.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nThat I feel very kind of happy that God was very fortunate to give us a life up here, and I think it is a mutual balance of life between the two, taking the best of both the worlds. That is what I feel. See, even this interview that we are doing right now is an opportunity given by the University to express different ethnic groups to how they are – how we make it in this foreign land and yet feel good about it, and then, how we grew our roots up here. My roots were always back in India till such time my child was born. Now, my roots have branched out here, I feel a sense of belonging. And then when I really became a citizen of the United States and every moment the flag is kind of flying up there and the National Anthem is sung, you felt you know, that you feel achieved something that is good because this had lot of plenty to offer with us,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=2102.0,2167.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"the tree.\n\nNN: One of the tournaments, one of the matches I will never forget is that I think it was at Dallas, he was losing, the other guy was winning 5-1 or something. So I packed up everything and loaded the car and waited for him to lose and come and drive home. Waited, waited, waited and nothing happened, and they started coming, I asked him what happened, why so late? He says I won.\n\nTN: See, he did not lose a point, after that he picked up and went to the car after that he never lost even one point and he beat him 7-5 in the last set. So that way –there have been ups and downs. That is what I was talking about, so nothing is done till you are done, we have got with so many prizes that way that at every point we are reminded about it.\n\nNN: The game is not over until the last ball is --\n\nTN: Played, yeah.\n\nKN: Yeah. So I guess that perseverance has been a theme throughout your life here in the US. I am curious kind of looking into the future, how would you advise people like ourselves, like first generation and people that are born and brought up in the US. So what is the message you would leave to people like us and the future of Indian-Americans coming and making a lot here.\n\nNN: The first thing is I would say is work smart, not work hard. Number two, keep everything -- simplify life, simplify everything and organize, organize, organize, those four things, three things, maybe I told you some few more things.\n\nKN: Yeah. And can you tell us a little bit how you learned to reflect those things that you just talked about like.\n\nNN: When I joined Brown \u0026 Root, I thought everything was technical, technical was more important, networking, organizing. But as I progressed through different levels of junior engineer, as senior engineer, lead engineer, I came to understand that technical thing is not that important, you can always hire somebody to do your work. It’s organizing organization, getting things done on time, budget, these things are very important in a company. So you need to focus on those – organizational skill is very important.\n\nKN: Right! And did you shift your attention to that?\n\nNN: Yeah, yeah.\n\nRV: So did you guys have any regrets coming to the US; is there any part of you that feels like oh, this could be better?\n\nNN: That’s a tough question! Coming to USA made me rich, yeah, I can say that. If I’ve stayed in India probably I would be retired by now, and not enough money, so in that way coming to USA was a good thing to do.\n\nRV: And how about you Mrs. Thara, how do you feel about that?\n\nTN: Well, where I came from and what I am right now, I am pretty much pleased the way we have developed our roots up here too, and with that the future generation will definitely will be happy to see the many different temples that we have built, and one thing I have done for the Hindus of Greater Houston also to compile how many organizations, cultural – how many temples we have built here, how many culture, all of these data we have tried to put it on our website.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=2167.0,2402.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nAs well as looking at all of it, the preservation is what everybody is concerned about. We came here, we had the wherewithal to build all these temples, but right now how to maintain them, how the future of those maintenance are going to be is one question behind our mind. And also, as we are all in the stage of our being senior citizens, how our life is going to be for the next 10-12 years to build some Senior Living Community, so that there will be a lot of care that is needed for the geriatric group. And we have of course Senior Citizen Associations cropping up in every different organization. They are looking at how the seniors can spend the time, both productively and at the same time take care of each other, because I know as children that your profession will come into play, your families building up will come into play. You will have many other concerns, but taking care of senior citizens is a very big responsibility that the future is going to have. So I am working with some other organizations to make sure that we help people out at that point and we become a little more self-sufficient in taking care of each other. \n\nAnd besides that I think, the second thing that we have done is try to visit as many countries. He was fortunately given a lot of foreign assignments, and he has lived in both Asia, Africa and many other places. So that way travel is one of the things that you learn many things from. So I am pretty much open, wherever you are you can be happy, at the same time you can also be productive, and give back to the community whatever we can in the future.\n\nKN: Right! Yeah, so I am curious, like you said you guys are now getting to the -- like they say the golden age of your life, tell us what is the plan for this? You talked a little bit about the – like the retirement community. That is, is there more involvement in the community, well, tell us a little bit about what the outlook of the next 10-15 years has in store?\n\nTN: Personally I won’t be as active as to be kind of trying to get involved, nowadays; I try to keep up with technology too. Things are done by apps, things are done on websites, things are done which is more attractive to the younger generation who can really catch up with things. And so, even if I travel around the world I can still communicate very quickly on Twitter and things like that to post my ideas and have help people. So that way, but not actively, even go myself and per se and do things, but we can have options of helping people through these kind of facilities that is offered, and I think that will be one of the things that I plan to do. Well, you never know what the future holds, sometimes, you know, there is also a saying, we will have to take it as it comes.\n\nNN: I have to take care of my brother and I have to take care of my sister in India.\n\nKN: Right!\n\nTN: He has certain responsibilities.\n\nNN: I have responsibilities, yeah.\n\nKN: Uh-huh! Tell us a little bit about that family obligation or like the dynamic, because I think that’s something that to Indian families is unique. Tell us about the closeness that you have with your brother and sister and same with you.\n\nNN: Yeah! We try to help each other out. If he is in trouble or if he is not doing well or if he has some problems, monetary problems, other problems, we try to help him out. So my brother has some problems, mental problems, so I go down, I used to, because now I can’t go every – I used to go every two-three weeks to Austin, buy him groceries, buy him all the stuff and then come back, and back and forth I used to do that, because now I travel to Africa, I can’t do that every three weeks. So we keep in touch, so help him out medically or any other ways we can do.\n\nKN: Right! A family is close.\n\nTN: Exactly! It is kind of as you said, Indian families are important and more so I came from a very – kind of well-knit family; definitely you stand there for each other and help each other out at any point.\n\nRV: So the distance hasn’t mattered, you still have family in India, you guys are very close.\n\nTN: Distance doesn’t matter, so it is like you are being in Amsterdam.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=2402.0,2702.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nTN: So at least tell me about how you like Amsterdam and what is your profession and how do you go about it and what are your plans for the future?\n\nKN: Why don’t you start first.\n\nRV: I will start with you.\n\nKN: So at this moment we are both living in Amsterdam and I work for Tesla Motors, all electric car company and we are building stores and service centers all over Europe, so try to accelerate the path to electric vehicles as quickly and mass market as we can make them happen.\n\nRV: And I am a medical doctor from India, and I am on the pathway to being resident doctor in the US, hopefully specialize very soon and give back to humanity and the society at large here, so that is a dream, the American dream to be accomplished.\n\nKN: Yeah.\n\nTN: And I think as I kind of reflect back for all my 32 years of living in the US, I find a very good balance between my kind of ambitions that I have accomplished, as well as I feel very proud being a part of the Houston Community, we just got a large extended family I should say that I have interacted with, got to know and I am very fortunate for that and I really kind of feel happy about what I have done so far.\n\nKN: Right can you tell us about any awards that you have won or accolades that you have received over the time that you have spent here?\n\nTN: He has got a few from his work from the – \n\nNN: I became a member of, a professional member of ASME; American Society of Mechanical Engineers.\n\nKN: Okay.\n\nNN: And then I passed the B.E. exam, Professional Engineer’s Exam so I can be B.E. in every state of USA. And I received certificates from my company like ASHA, recognition and things like that. That’s about it. I was not involved in the communities like Thara. \n\nRV: Well, it was to fine balance. \n\nKN: Yeah, exactly!\n\nTN: Yeah, he is more academically and I am very socially, so I think that – \n\nNN: But we","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=2702.0,2855.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"represent by donating a lot of money to the temple and Meenakshi Temple, Iskcon and other organizations.\n\nTN: Almost all of the organizations.\n\nRV: Are you concerned with all of these efforts that you are putting in obviously, are you concerned at some point there will be some erosion of this culture, do you see that happening?\n\nTN: I’d really doubt it, because in every field of – kind of music, dance and art, as well as, you will see Indian kids really doing extremely well. I am amazed by some of the talents that come up in Cleveland, Thyagaraja Festival, as well as even in","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=2855.0,2895.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364/transcript/60438/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"book political, you have a lot of people who are born here, raised here, yet they all have Indian background, have done lot of achievement in every field. I am very happy in every kind of different areas they have excelled very well and due to the family support that the Indian families have given them; I think they have really made a mark that I see a bright future and nothing fading away.\n\nThere might be monuments in case if at all it comes to deterioration that probably would occur in the 50 years, but how you raised your children to give them the values that how you are going to keep it up, comes into play at that point, and I am sure you will all be doing very well being proud inherent and the heritage that you have acquired.\n\nRV: Thank you so much for talking to us today. It’s been wonderful to listen to your journey and so many takeaways from that conversation, and in the next 30-35 years if any of us achieve half the things you guys have achieved, we will be so lucky. Thank you!\n\nKN: Yeah.\n\nTN: I thank you and I thank the Foundation of India Studies, I have to thank Krishna Vavilala and well as Veena who has been very helpful in making this possible and the videographer too. Thank you!\n\nRV: Thank you for giving us a chance to interview our family. Thank you!\n\nKN: Thanks so much!","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108919/file/210364#t=2895.0,2985.24893"}]}]}]}