{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/wp9t14w77w/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Jhingran, Satish"]},"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. Satish Jhingran (interviewee)","Vikas Gopal Jhingran (interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2012-02-04 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["eng (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Dr. Satish Jhingran 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)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["indoamerican"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Moving Image"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Dr. Satish Jhingran 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/000/210/331/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-pjm7yo_1698432456.jpg?1698418057","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - FIS-OH0008.mov"]},"duration":1832.06357,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/331/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-pjm7yo_1698432456.jpg?1698418057","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-houstonlibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/210/331/original/FIS-OH0008.mov?1698418054","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1832.06357,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"and I became Chief of Nuclear Medicine at Baylor and Methodist Hospital till I retired, which was in 2001.\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=293.0,302.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nVGJ: So that is very interesting, but I am particularly interested in finding out how you felt and how Houston was when you came here in your first few years?\nSGJ: Oh, Houston at that time actually was a village. It was a very small town, and the outer limit of Houston was 610, Loop 610. There was nothing -- beyond Loop 610 there was no Galleria or Westheimer even, it was known as a Farm Road. The only thing which outside 610 at that time was a Jewish Community Center, which is in Braeswood, otherwise there was nothing there. And one of my friends called me at the Jewish Community Center, he lived closed by, and it looked like we are in the jungle moving there, and since then Houston has grown up now; it's one of the fourth largest city of this country.\nVGJ: I also was very interested in finding out what your experiences were as an immigrant coming to this country and were you accepted by the community; was it a little difficult?\n\nSGJ: Vikas, tell you frankly I had absolutely no experience about the indiscrimination in this country. People at that time were very friendly. Actually I was scared when I was coming here, because everybody in India was saying you are going to the South, Houston, there is lot of discrimination there and what will you do there, but to my surprise, I mean, it was -- the people were so friendly, there was absolutely no discrimination. I never felt anything and actually climate-wise also Houston was excellent, just like India, so I settled here very well. \nAnd as a matter of fact, people are much more difficult now in Houston, and there may be some discrimination now in Houston, but at that time, I mean the foreigners were very welcomed in Houston, Texas.\n\nVGJ: Now, initially when you came to Houston, the Indian community was very small probably. So how did you and others or what did you and others do to keep connected to India, and how did you get more and more involved with the community and the social activities in Houston?\n\nSGJ: Well, the Houston community at that time, actually there was ten or eleven professionals and beside that about -- maybe about 100 Indian students in the University of Houston, so there were very few Indians. And there was nothing like South Indian, North Indian, we were all Indians. And there were five, six doctors. I met the first doctors here, and they were also looking for somebody, a new face and they were very happy to see me here, and we were all welcomed there. \nAt that time there were only professionals in Houston; there were doctors or the engineers. Most of the engineers were the chemical engineers with the oil industry, and we formed a group, and we started meeting with each other. There was no temple or anything at that time.\n\nSo the first thing we needed was to think about the religion. And so a group of about 10 or 11 people started meeting and started having Gita courses and Satyanarayan Katha at that time. And Mr. Diwan was there; he expired there, and so we formed actually Hindu Worship Society at that time. That was the first society of the Indians, and it was only 10 or 15 members to start with, and then gradually the more and more people came here, and our Hindu Worship Society grew up, and then finally, instead of having our prayers at our homes, we moved to Rotkho's Chapel, and in Rotkho's Chapel we had our prayers, and then the Indian student population has also increased by that time. \nThose students, they were hungry for the Indian food and there was no Indian food there, so the ladies were cooking for the pooja and for us too food and they also prepared for the students. So there were lots of students coming to the Rotkho's Chapel to have a free lunch on Sundays once a month. \n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=302.0,588.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nAnd then later on, whenever there are about 50, 60 Indians, there is always a fight. So now we were thinking about building some place to have a temple and we could not decide. So at that time Mr. Kannappan decided to move out from us and to have his own group of people to make a temple, and that’s how the first temple was born, which was Meenakshi Temple. And then we were left with all the South Indians moving to the Meenakshi Temple, and finally, we did make a temple in the Wirt Road, which is still there and is still one of the very old temple.\n\nAnd after that the Arya Samaj started itching, and they thought that we should have this hawan and hawan place and all those things. We said we can't provide it, so they separated out, and that’s how you saw this Arya Samaj Mandir there. In the meantime, Meenakshi Temple came, so that’s the religious part of it. \nThe other interesting part was that we were -- there was no music halls, nothing. So we were just going to the University of Houston and seeing the movie once a month, and there were some students. But the professionals started getting into the University of Houston and they started -- in the Indian Student Association the professionals started getting in there, and they got the executive position; President, Vice President, the students were set aside, and those professionals started fighting. And there was one election, and that was I think in ’72, when there was a very big political fight for the President, with Mr. Raj Syal and Pankaj Dalal. And there was actually -- became volatile also, and University of Houston academics come to know about it and they disbanded us.\n\nThey said, India Student Association is only for the students and no outsiders were allowed. By that time the professionals were there, the engineers had grown much more, and because of the visa ease a lot of Indian doctors came also, so we were a big community by that time. \nSo we decided what to do, so finally in ’73 we formed the India Culture Center. Dr. Harb Hayre was the preliminary Chair to form the constitution; Dr. Hayre has expired, and I was the first President of the India Culture Center, which is still growing very well, and I was the President in 1973.\nSo that’s how we grew up. And further on, as the doctors increased we decided to meet as Indian doctors. And Dr. Sharma, Dr. Mathew and myself, three of us decided to have one informal meeting of the Indian doctors and that was -- and at that time I think there was -- Shamrock was still there; was about to be demolished. We had a meeting in Shamrock Hotel. We met there and we decided to have Indian Doctors Club, nonprofessional organization. And Dr. Sharma was appointed the first President of that. After that he was -- that was in 1981, and then Ninan Mathew was the second President, and I became the third President of the Indian Doctors Club, which has also grown. \n\nAnd then we decided to make it nonprofit, so now it is known as the Indian Doctors Association. In between then I was the President there, and little -- few years later we were the first people to participate in the U.S. politics.\nMark White was standing for the Governorship second time, and Ann Richards, both of them were from the Democratic Party; the State of Texas was still all Democratic Party at that time, there were no Republicans here, which has completely changed now. So we gave a lot of contribution to Mark White. Finally, Mark White lost anyway and Ann Richards became the Governor, and Ann Richards appointed me in one of the committees in Austin.\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=588.0,898.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nIn between the Indo-American Physicians Association (AAPI) American Association of Physicians of India was formed, and Mr. Kothari was the person who started it. And I think that was there second year. It was very small actually, besides Chicago, Illinois, there was nothing there in AAPI at that time. Mr. Kothari had a son here, he visited here, and at that time I was the President, he contacted me, and he said why not Houston joins the AAPI?\nSo after two or three years later we joined. We were the second biggest organization after Illinois to join the AAPI. And I was one of the Board of Directors in AAPI, and I grew up with AAPI for eight or ten years, and as part of the AAPI I was part of their Constitution Committee and Board of Directors for eight, ten years. And in the year 2000, there was a big fight in AAPI too, and I was in the wrong camp, so I lost there; I was standing for the Vice President. But I did become the trustee for the AAPI Board of Trustee. They appointed me as the Board of Trustee after I lost as the Vice President. \nAnd also, after the Indian Doctors Club was formed, there was a need to join all the doctors in the State of Texas. So we met in ’83 or ’85, all the State Texas doctors we met in Austin and we formed Texas Indo-American Society, Indo-American Doctors Society; TIPS was the initial, Texas Indian Physicians Society or something like that. And I was the first President of the TIPS too. \nAnd then beside that, finally we grew up; as a matter of fact, during all this time when I was the President of the ICC, in 1973, Mr. Karl was the Ambassador of India, and he was visiting Houston and that was the first Indian Ambassador has come to Houston, first time. So Mr. Karl -- and we were supposed to give him a good celebration for him, so we arranged a dinner for him, and there were about 200 Indians at that time, and none of them have too much money for it. So the ladies cooked for 200 people, and we just charged $5 per person for the dinner, which is unthinkable now, where the dinner costs $100 minimum, and it was a big reception and we enjoyed very much.\nLater on Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister came here, we arranged a party for him, but that time we were rich people. And India Culture Center also, later on it grew, so Mr. Sindwani, who just expired, we were meeting at -- actually we were meting -- our meetings were in the Medical Center, I had a big hall in the Methodist Hospital where we used to meet. But Sindwani said the group is getting bigger, so he wanted to have India -- ICC House. So actually Mr. Sindwani’s effort ICC House was bought. Actually the initial money was given in ’76 or ’77, and we bought the ICC House, which was in the Wirt Center at that time. And Sindwani sahib and","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=898.0,1160.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"sahib, they used to clean the house. There was not too much money in ICC at that time; they were cleaning the house; they were maintaining the house; and Indian classes started and dancing and all those things started there. And after that the Meenakshi Temple also started Indian classes, and the Chinmaya Mission also started Indian classes.\n\nSo actually this India House concept has been borrowed from the ICC House, and the India House took over the ICC part of it there, and we feel sorry about it, because it should be the ICC House. And basically that’s what I can tell you about it.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=1160.0,1208.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nVGJ: That’s wonderful!\nSGJ: Yeah, go ahead.\nVGJ: You talked about the religious side and how Houston grew with the Indian religions; you talked about the culture side, but I was very interested in also finding out how the food has changed since you came here into Houston. I am sure when you came here in Houston there were probably no, if any, Indian restaurants for vegetarians, how was it? Was it difficult to eat out and how has that changed?\n\nSGJ: To tell you, when we first -- in ’68 you could not get anything, there were no green vegetables, even in State of Texas. They were all potato and beef eaters. You could not get anything there, and no spices, nothing, no masala here, no lentils or dals were here. So as a group about eight friends of us together we used to order the food from the New York. All the groceries used to come for us from New York in bulk, and then we would distribute it to each other. \nAnd there was no Indian grocery shop. The first restaurant began here in Houston, and we were five people who decided to open a restaurant in Houston. There was no restaurant in the State of Texas as a matter of fact at that time. And that was Tandoor, and that was about I think in 80s we started that. And after that, now there are lot of restaurants. And we ran it very well for five years, and we sold it. That’s the first business venture of mine, and I made money in that; after that I have never made any money.\nAnd also, with the political part and Indian politics, lot of us got involved later on in other politics and now we are giving donation to every politician in Houston. We also became rich. I mean, Indians became rich, and at that -- then we started to give something to Houston back. \nSo then again five, six of us met together; Biki Mohindra, myself, Bhuchar and Manoj Vakil, Arvind Bhandari, and we formed Indo-American Charity Foundation, and that was in 1988. And also that first meeting was held in the Medical Center. Shamrock Hilton was destroyed by 1988, but they still had a convention hall left; Nik Nikam must be knowing that, and our first meeting of the Indo-American Charity Foundation, first fundraising actually, was held in that convention hall, and now that also has become a big organization and now a lot of charities are there.\nVGJ: Very interesting!\nSGJ: But the food, Indian food still is about the same when we started it, it is the same type of food and the same kind of food, but now some good fancy restaurants have come in.\nVGJ: Now, let's go back to -- coming here as an immigrant and then adjusting to the Houston environment, I am sure there were -- on many occasions you thought about whether my children growing up here will they have the same value system that you were able to develop in India? Was that ever something that you thought about and how did you approach that?\n\nSGJ: No, we thought about that, and as a matter of fact, the Hindu Worship Society, the one purpose was to teach Indians, our children the Indian culture and Indian values. And then we also had this -- I mean, not a public Holi or public Diwali function, but we use to have poojas for Diwali and Holi and Janmashtami. So we kept our culture at home, and when we taught all those things to our children, and they still know it. \nLike my daughter, who is also a physician, and she is 49, she also does pooja at home, and whenever she gets promotion or a bonus she always goes to the Meenakshi Temple and pay homage to the God. So at that time actually we cultivated lot of Indian culture, much more than what is being cultivated today, and those children -- we are very proud of our children actually.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=1208.0,1496.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331/transcript/60405/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nSomehow the children know that they are different. They themselves know they are different. You don’t have to tell them that you are different. They understand it. And I never had any problems in the schools of my children, where my daughter would say that she is discriminated, or my son will say that he is being discriminated. Actually it was our values and they did all very well. So basically I never saw that problem, and I don’t think anybody has seen that problem with the children.\n\nVGJ: They adjust very well to the --\n\nSGJ: They adjust very well, very easily, and you don’t have to tell them. They themselves -- the children -- you will be surprised, children are much more intelligent than what the adults are.\nVGJ: Another aspect of the Houston and the Indians in Houston, as you mentioned, are the different cultures and the different areas of India that people come from and they speak different languages, their foods are different. In the future, you talked a little bit about some of the differences that arose in the Indian community initially, but in the future going forward, what piece of advice do you have for Indians who are coming in from India, the next generation maybe on how they can work together and form a strong Indian community?\nSGJ: Actually when we first came here, we were all Indians, and we were Indians for five, six, seven years. Afterwards, as the population grew, the separation became much more evident; the Gujaratis started their own association; Tamils started their own; Telugus started their own; and there was a big separation at that time. And when we were trying to fund the ICC House, the Gujaratis said, no, we won't give you any money, we want our own house, the Gujarati House, and they did have a Gujarati House. And there were much more differences at that time. \nRecently I am finding that after all those old people are going away and the younger generation is coming up, there are more Indians and there is less difference that you are a South Indian or this Indian, and ICC is getting stronger now, and those corporate -- separate state institutions or state organizations, they are losing their power and ICC is getting stronger. So basically I think that the next five, ten years we will become Indians in United States, it may not be in India, but United States will be more homogenized than we were ten years ago. Actually I am very happy to see that the differences are going down now.\n\nVGJ: Wonderful! Growing up, all of us are busy, yet when you came to the U.S. it's very clear that you, apart from being busy and having kids, with work, you were able to find time and get involved with a lot of cultural and also political affiliations, where the concerns and the interests of India were promoted because of the group that you were involved with. What do you have to say for the younger generation who are hesitant to get involved with the cultural associations or spend time with political associations, saying that they don’t have time and their time is better spent at home with kids or at work? What would you tell them, why should they invest their time in organizations like this?\nSGJ: That’s an interesting question! And the thing is that, you will always be an Indian. Gradually there will be assimilation, but that assimilation will take another 50, 60 years; like in your age there is no assimilation as yet. The more and more people will marry Americans, and as a matter of fact the importance of religion will go down. \nBut as far as your age groups are concerned, I am seeing the young people, who are spending time. Like recently I was in charge of the election for the ICC, and they were all young people, and they were very much interested in running ICC than I have seen for many years back. And like that I believe everywhere I am seeing the young group, like Chamber of Commerce, they are young people coming up, like you are also getting involved. \nSo you have to get sometime out. I mean, I know that the family is very important, and at that time we were not giving so much importance to the family as we were more socially involved, but coming with the American culture now, the family is becoming more and more important and more and more people are spending more time with their children than we used to.\n\nBut still I think that we have to get time out, we need to get involved in all these, like Indo-American Charity Foundation; DAYA, which is a very important organization, and there are others. I do not believe too much giving money to the people who come from outside and ask the money here, like Pratham or Ekal Vidyalaya and all those things. I think that’s not our job. \nNow, as a matter of fact, there is lot of power --\n[Note: This audio end abruptly at this point.]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108886/file/210331#t=1496.0,1832.06357"}]}]}]}