RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — An oral history project at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) is spotlighting the voices of Indian Americans in Central Virginia through heartfelt conversations and personal stories of immigration, tradition and everyday life.
Rith Initiative, a new cultural nonprofit that explores and celebrates the Indian American community in Virginia, presented the immersive Threads and Bridges Festival over the weekend, drawing hundreds to the VMHC for cultural celebrations, live performances and identity exploration at 15 stations and booths.
Celebrating America 250 at the High Point Museum
Held on Aug. 15, or India Independence Day, the inaugural festival also marked the launch of a landmark project that aims to preserve and share the lived experiences of Indian Americans across the commonwealth.
“We started with recording stories of 10 people, and we’re including stories across generations, across religions and across regions and occupations,” said founder and president Ruchi Gupta.
The project highlights the metaphor of a loom in immigrant communities: threads carried by immigrant “Carriers” and woven in by their children and grandchildren, “Weavers.” Organizers categorized Carriers as those born and raised in India — the first generation of immigrants — whereas Weavers are those born or raised on U.S. soil…