Community Celebrates Success of Indian American Exhibit and Holi, A Festival of Colors

The exhibit has been at the Hjemkomst Center for the past six months

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation is an exhibit that’s been at the Hjemkomst Center for the past six months.

The exhibit was collaboration between the Smithsonian Institute and Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.

The community is celebrating its success, as well as Holi, a festival of colors.

Organizers say 10,000 people have come to see it, even school groups from hours away.

“I think it’s been educational for the community and for us. I would say I learned a lot about Indian Americans in America than I knew before,” Anu Gaba, an organizer, said.

There have been all sorts of events over the past half year, including lectures, performances, and the most popular, a fashion show.

“Indian Americans are shaping the nation in so many in so many specialties. In health, in computer science, in professor, in school,” Vijay Gaba, a board member at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, said.

The community celebrated with dancing and the Holi festival, where people throw colorful powder at each other to celebrate the arrival of spring and good over evil.

Organizers want people to learn that the Indian American story is one that’s multi–faceted, and there’s a lot more to it than you might read in a textbook.

“Every immigrant group initially struggles to be accepted. Then they have to fight for it and ultimately they become part of the American fabric. That has repeated again and again,” Anu said.

While this chapter may be over for organizers, the Indian American story will continue to go to on.

“I feel this is a microcosm of immigration that’s been happening. For us it’s happening now, it started 200 years ago, but it’s still happening and there are other groups where it’s all happened and for some groups it’s going to start in the future. I feel part of a story,” Anu said.