India
Federation of America and ILA Foundation records, 1970-2007
Descriptive
Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center
by
Anne Hardgrove, 2001; rev. 2013
Please
address questions to:
Chicago
History Museum,
Research Center
1601
North Clark Street
Chicago,
IL 60614-6038
Website:
http://www.chicagohistory.org/research
Copyright © 2013, Chicago
Historical Society, 1601 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614-6038
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: India Federation of America and ILA Foundation
records, 1970-2007.
Main entry: ILA Foundation (Chicago, Ill.)
Span dates: 1970-2007.
Size:
6.5 linear
ft. (17 boxes) and 1 oversize folder.
Restriction: In order to view an original videotape, a research copy must be made.
Provenance statement: The ILA Foundation donated this collection (1999.0146;
2009.0073.1) and provided financial assistance for processing it.
Terms governing
use: Copyright
may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated
by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.
Please cite this
collection as: India Federation
of America and ILA Foundation records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed
description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.
This descriptive inventory contains the
following sections:
Historical note,
Summary description of the collection,
Description of some material related to
the collection,
List of online catalog headings about
the collection,
Arrangement of the collection,
Detailed description of archival series
in the collection,
List of
contents of the collection.
Historical note:
ILA
Foundation is a not-for-profit community organization with members throughout
the Chicago area. It is a charitable and educational organization with a
secular outlook, whose general mission is to provide a common vehicle for the
expression of cultural, educational, social and economic affairs of the people
of Indic origin in North America. Its primary purpose is to foster friendship
and understanding between people whose origins are in the South Asian
subcontinent (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) and other groups of people in
North America. The ILA Foundation encourages, sponsors, collaborates and
coordinates activities that advance appreciation of the historical and cultural
heritage of the South Asian community, as well as contribute to intercultural
understanding between them and other groups who are their neighbors here. The
ILA Foundation provides financial resources and support to other organizations,
groups, and individual activities dedicated to cultural, educational, social,
economic, and community affairs of the people of "Indic" origin in
North America; that is, South Asians of all nationalities and religious
persuasions.
The
ILA Foundation has contributed funding to a diversity of projects, including
research on American attitudes about Indians, a variety of cultural, artistic,
musical and scientific presentations, education materials for school children
and the public, and events for civic participation, including neighborhood
celebrations and national conferences. The ILA Foundation contributions for
such activities have ranged from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand,
typically joining its financial contribution with those of other supporting
organizations. The financial support of the ILA has come entirely from the
board, the members, the executive committee, and from corporate matching funds
in recognition of their employees' volunteer activities.
ILA
Foundation was first incorporated in the State of Illinois on February 19,
1971, as the Federation of India Student Associations of the United States of
America (FISA). FISA was founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1964 by eleven India
Associates, and held the first Indian student conference. Based on findings and
discussions at the convention and in the following months, the focus soon
shifted from concerns of students from India to concerns of newly arrived
immigrants from the Indian subcontinent settling in this country. In February
1973, with Chandra Jha as President, the charter was revised and the name was
changed to the India League of America (ILA). Membership was open to individuals
as well as associations of a regional or religious character.
From
1974 to 1980, ILA initiated annual award banquets recognizing contributions of
renowned individuals including conductor Zubin Mehta, sitarist Ali Akbar Khan,
and structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan (designer of Sears Tower and John
Hancock Center). Over these years ILA sponsored many free or low-cost
immigration clinics at which attorneys gave all-day workshops. These workshops
provided important legal information for people wanting to change their visa
status from student to permanent resident or wanting to sponsor relatives from
India.
ILA
was one of the few ethnic organizations invited to file a brief for the
community on the issue of minority rights when the legislation was being
debated in Washington in 1976. The ILA had vehemently disagreed with the
decision on the part of the federal Office of Budget Management to move the
Indic people from the "white other" category to "Asian and
Pacific Islander," which was a protected class status group. Though other
South Asian groups had in fact agitated to have their status changed, the ILA
leaders believed that this move would hinder "the progress made heretofore
in assimilation." One of the major reasons given against this new classification
was a fear of a backlash reaction and increased incidents of violence against
people of South Asian origin.
The
year 1976 was a particularly active period of ILA activities, coinciding with
the American Bicentennial celebrations. ILA organized the first India Day
Parade in 1976. In this year ILA also organized and staffed an India exhibit at
Navy Pier featuring arts, crafts, and cultures of India as well as
contributions of Indian immigrants in America. The exhibit featured free supply
of hot tea, video and slide shows, music and dance demonstrations as well as
live Yoga and biofeedback workshops in cooperation with volunteers from the
Himalayan Institute. The exhibit drew about 1500 visitors daily for three
weeks. During the same period, ILA sponsored Chicago performances of many
renowned performing artists of classical music and dance from India, including
Yamini Krishnamurthy, Sitara Devi, Nikhil Banerjee, Ali Amjad,
and others. ILA organized and hosted a three-day festival in conjunction with
the Smithsonian, entitled "Smithsonian On-Tour." ILA organized visas
and sponsored a three-month artist-in-residence program for many visiting
artists and dancers, including Pandit Kartick Kumar who gave demonstrations,
instructions and concert programs at university campuses across the U.S.
By
the end of the 1970s, the ILA leadership created a Federation of Indian
Associations in Chicago to formally coordinate and shape activities with the
leaders of the many other South Asian cultural organizations in the Chicago
area. ILA leaders organized and presided over meetings during 1978 and 1979 and
were an active part of FIA as advisers and board members. ILA helped form a
Coordinating Committee of Indian Organizations that met from 1978-79. In
addition, ILA kept in close contact with several other Indian organizations,
and even discussed forming a merger with the Association of Indians in American
during 1976-78.
In
1981, the India League of America changed its name to the ILA Foundation and
became exclusively a grant-giving organization. The focus of the organization
shifted to providing funding for externally oriented activities to protect the
long-term image and welfare of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and
their succeeding generations. The ILA Foundation Grants and Programs from 1981
onwards have included a wide variety of projects and foci, including art
exhibitions, films and photographic exhibits, education grants, education
projects, and community service grants.
Exhibitions
funded in part by the ILA Foundation have included an exhibit of 15-18th
century textiles at the Field Museum; "India: Festival of Science" at
the Museum of Science and Industry; "Through Indian Eyes," an exhibit
of 19th century photos at the Chicago Cultural Center; "The Perfumed
Garden," an exhibit of Indian miniatures at Lake Forest College; "Ocean
of Painting," folk and tribal art; and "Popular Painting Traditions
in India and their impact on contemporary art and culture," a seminar at
the Smart Museum at the University of Chicago. The ILA Foundation has sponsored
a festival of films by Shyam Benegal and Satyajit Ray, a photo exhibition of
the Himalayas, and sculptures of Indira Johnson at the University of
Illinois-Chicago. Educational grants have included contributions towards the
Fazlur Rahman Khan Memorial Chair at Lehigh University, the Surendra Saxena
Memorial Chair at Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Mellon challenge
for India Studies at the University of Chicago.
Education
projects included a PBS documentary entitled "India Speaks;" "Tastes
of India" at the Community Center in Schaumburg; a seminar series "India
Day" by the Ameer Khusro Society; a TV series called "Mixed Marriages";
a panel discussion on the South Asia Diaspora at the University of Chicago; a
handicrafts exhibit at the University of Iowa; a national conference "India
in America--The Immigrant Experience" at The Asia Society; a research
report "Anti-Indian Feelings in American Cities," in the context of
violence again Indians in New Jersey; and an educational program in cooperation
with the Indo-American Center entitled "Interacting with South Asian
immigrants." Community service grants have included grants to the
Indo-American Center for the purchase of educational equipment; to the Alliance
of Midwest Indian Associations for Thanksgiving Dinners for the homeless and
for a senior citizens health fair; and to Apna Ghar, a South Asian women's
shelter.
Beginning
in the early 1990s, the locus of ILA Foundation activity shifted from the its Board to an Executive Committee. The ILA Foundation
Executive Committee, comprised mostly of women, met on a monthly basis to
discuss programs and proposals submitted by persons or organizations seeking funding.
During this period, the ILA Foundation Board has met on a quarterly basis.
Summary
description of the collection:
The
ILA Foundation records contain correspondence, reports, minutes, announcements,
news clippings, financial records, and other Chicago office files of the ILA
Foundation and its predecessor, the India League of America, relating to its
activities as a charitable and educational organization with a secular outlook,
whose general mission is to provide a common vehicle for the expression of
cultural, educational, social, and economic affairs of the people of Indic
origin in North America. Its primary purpose is to foster friendship and
understanding between people whose origins are in the South Asian subcontinent
(India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) and other North Americas. The ILA Foundation
encourages, sponsors, collaborates, and coordinates activities that advance
appreciation of cultural and art heritage of the South Asian community, as well
as contribute to intercultural understanding.
Some
copies of the newsletter, News & Views, are included in this collection,
but a more complete set of the newsletters is cataloged separately as a serial
at Chicago History Museum, Research Center.
Description
of some material related to the collection:
Related materials at Chicago History
Museum, Research Center, include the India League of America and ILA Foundation
photographs (1999.0146) and a set of the newsletter, News & Views.
List
of online catalog headings about the collection
The
following entries were placed in the online catalog for this collection:
Subjects:
ILA
Foundation (Chicago, Ill.)--Archives.
India
League of America--Archives.
Amjad, ʻAlī
Banergee, Nikhil.
Benegal, Shyam, 1934-
Carter, Lillian, 1898-1993.
Sitara Devi.
Jha, Chandra K.
Johnson, Indira Freitas,
1943-
Khan, Ali Akbar, 1922-2009.
Khan, Fazlur R.
Krishnamurti, Yamini.
Kumar, Pandit Kartick.
Mehta,
Zubin.
Ray, Satyajit, 1921-1992.
Sanghvi, Manoj K.
Amir Khusro Society of America.
Asia Forum (Chicago, Ill.)
Asia Society.
Asian Human Services (Chicago, Ill.)
Association of Indians in America.
Association of Midwest Indian Associations.
Bangladesh Foundation.
Bengali Association of Greater Chicago.
Federation of India Student Associations.
Federation of Indian Associations (Chicago, Ill.)
Gujarat
Cultural Association (Chicago, Ill.)
India Development Service.
Indo-American Center.
Lake Forest College.
Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, Ill.)
National Council of Asian Indian Organizations.
University of Chicago. South Asia Language & Area
Center. Outreach Educational Project.
Asian Americans--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Charities--Illinois--Chicago.
East Indians--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
Emigration and immigration law--United States.
Minorities. Legal status, laws, etc.
Social
service--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area.
South
Asian Americans--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.
South
Asian Americans--Illinois--Chicago--21st century.
Chicago
(Ill.)--Emigration and immigration.
India--Description and Travel.
West
Rogers Park (Chicago, Ill.)
Form/genre:
Announcements.
Correspondence.
Financial records.
Minutes.
Reports.
Added
entries:
Carter, Lillian, 1898-1993.
Jha,
Chandra K.
Sanghvi,
Manoj K.
Amir Khusro Society of America.
Asia Forum (Chicago, Ill.).
Asia Society.
Asian Human Services (Chicago, Ill.).
Association of Indians in America.
Association of Midwest Indian Associations.
Bangladesh Foundation.
Bengali Association of Greater Chicago.
Federation of India Student Associations.
Federation of Indian Associations (Chicago, Ill.).
Gujarat Cultural Association (Chicago, Ill.).
India Development Service.
India League of America.
Indo-American Center.
Lake Forest College.
Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, Ill.).
National Council of Asian Indian Organizations.
University of Chicago. South Asia Language & Area
Center. Outreach Educational Project.
Arrangement
of the collection:
The
India Federation of America and ILA Foundation records are arranged in archival
series:
Series 1. Administrative Files, 1970-1994
Series 2. Program and Topical Files, 1973-1998
Series 3. Miscellaneous files, 1976-2007 & oversize folder
Detailed
description of archival series in the collection:
Series 1. Administrative Files,
1970-1994
Series
1 (boxes 1-9) consists of two subseries. The first subseries covers the
solitary file dating from the ILA's Foundation first incarnation as the
Federation of Indian Student Associations (FISA). All other files in the series
(subseries 2) are India League of America and ILA Foundation files.
The
files of subseries 2 include agendas and minutes of Board Meetings, notes,
memos, and correspondence documenting the routine operations of the India
League of America and the ILA Foundation. This series is arranged
alphabetically and thereunder chronologically. The India League of America
newsletter entitled News & Views, which covers the major news events and
public programs of the organization, is included in this series.
The
correspondence in this series includes routine membership matters, program
proposal requests, and program planning. Files on the Annual Award Banquets
contain programs and planning materials. The bylaws and Constitutions of the
India League of America and the ILA Foundation are found here. Financial
materials include audits, banking analysis reports, invoices, and contributions
and pledges.
Series 2. Program and Topical Files,
1973-1998
Series
2 runs from box 9 to box 13. It is divided into two subseries: Subseries 1,
Program Files; and Subseries 2, Topical Files.
Subseries
1, Program Files, includes materials (newspaper clippings, programs,
correspondence) on exhibitions, festivals, workshops, reports, lectures, and
other public presentations relating to Indian culture and society, mainly
staged in Chicago. The ILA Foundation provided funding for many of these
presentations.
Subseries
2, Topical Files, includes fliers, correspondence, newspaper clippings,
reports, and surveys and are arranged alphabetically by topic or title of the
organization. This series contains an assortment of newspaper clippings related
to topics of interest to the India League of America and the ILA Foundation,
such as immigration, violence against immigrant populations, census figures on
the numbers of Indians in America, as well as clipping files on affiliated
organizations. The papers that concern the discussion about minority status are
included here.
Series 3. Miscellaneous files, 1976-2007 & oversize folder (2009.0073.1)
Series
3 contains, in chronological order, records of the ILA Foundation's meetings,
financial activities, correspondence, and cultural events. Also present are
studies pertaining to Indian immigrants in the United States.
List
of contents of the collection:
Series
1.
Administrative files, 1970-1994
Subseries
1.
Federation of Indian Student Associations (FISA)
box
1
folders:
1 General
1970-1973
Series
1.
Administrative files, 1970-1994
Subseries
2.
India League of America (ILA) and ILA Foundation
box
1 continued:
folders:
2 Addresses
of members
3 Annual
Award Banquets: 1974
4 Annual
Award Banquets: 1975
5 Annual
Award Banquets: 1976
6 Annual
Award Banquets: 1977
7 Annual
Award Banquets: 1978
8 Annual
Award Banquets: 1980
box
2
1 Annual
reports
2 Annual
report filing forms
3 Board
of Directors: Internal discussions and lists of members
4 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1974
5 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1975
6 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1976
7 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1977
8 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1978
9 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1980
10 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1981
11 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1983
12 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1984
13 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1986
14 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1987
15 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1988
16 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1989
17 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1991
18 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1992
19 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1993
20 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1994
21 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1995
22 Board
of Directors: Minutes: 1996
23 Brochures
box
3
1 Constitution:
India League of America 1975-1980
2 Constitution:
ILA Foundation 1981-92
3 Correspondence:
1972-73
4 Correspondence: 1974 January-September
5 Correspondence:
1974 October-November
6 Correspondence:
1974 December
7 Correspondence:
1975
8 Correspondence:
1976 January-May
9 Correspondence:
1976 June-July
10 Correspondence:
1976 August-September
box
4
1 Correspondence:
1976 October-December
2 Correspondence:
1977
3 Correspondence:
1978 January-April
4 Correspondence:
1978 May-June
5 Correspondence:
1978 August
6 Correspondence:
1978 September-October
7 Correspondence:
1978 November-December
8 Correspondence:
1979
9 Correspondence:
1980
10 Correspondence:
1981
box
5
1 Correspondence:
1982
2 Correspondence:
1983
3 Correspondence:
1984
4 Correspondence:
1985
5 Correspondence:
1986 January-August
6 Correspondence:
1986 May-August
7 Correspondence:
1986 September-December
8 Correspondence:
1987
9 Correspondence:
1988
10 Correspondence:
1989
11 Correspondence:
1990
12 Correspondence:
1991
13 Correspondence:
1992
14 Correspondence:
1993
15 Correspondence:
1994
box
6
1 Correspondence:
1995
2 Correspondence:
1996
3 Correspondence:
1997
4 Financial:
Audit reports
5-6 Financial:
Banking analysis
7 Financial:
Checks and deposits
8 Financial:
Contributions and pledges
9 Financial
statements
box
7
1 Financial:
Grants and programs
2-4 Financial:
Invoices
5 Financial:
Receipts and disbursements
6 Financial:
Statement of cash position
7 Financial:
Tax returns
8 Incorporation
papers
box
8
1 Newsletters:
1972-1973
2 Newsletters:
1974-1975
3 Newsletters:
1976
4 Newsletters:
1977-1979
5 Personnel
6 Presidents'
handwritten notes
7 Stationary
and envelope samples
Series
2.
Program and topical files, 1973-1998
Subseries
1.
Program Files
box
8 continued:
folders:
8 Academic
lectures, miscellaneous
9 Academic
studies: "American Sentiments Towards Indians"
1980
10 Academic
studies: "The New "Assimilative" Immigrant" 1988
11 Academic
studies: "A Pilot Study of Anti-Indian Feelings in Chicago and New Jersey"
1976
12 Art
exhibition, Hancock Center, Chicago 1977
13 Benegal,
Shyman, film maker
box
9
1 Bicentennial:
Kartick Kumar concert
2 Bicentennial:
Navy Pier exhibition
3-4 Bicentennial:
Smithsonian On Tour
5 Birmingham
Salutes India
6 Fazlur
Rahman Khan Chair, Lehigh University
7 Festival
of India: American Committee
8 Festival
of India: Calligraphy exhibit
9 Festival
of India: Chicago Committee
10 Festival
of India: Festival publicity
box
10
1 Festival
of India: Film Festival--Film Utsav
2 Festival
of India: Indians in America book proposal
3 Festival
of India: Museum of Science and Industry (MSI):
India:
A Festival of Science
4 Festival
of India: MSI: Documentary: "India: Festival of Science"
5 Festival
of India: MSI: Zubin Mehta
6 Festival
of India: "From the Ocean of Painting" (curriculum packet, Smart
Gallery, Chicago)
7 Immigration
clinics
8 India
Day: 1976
9 India
Day: 1977
10 India
Day: 1978 (Lillian Carter Honor)
11 India
Day: 1979
12 India
Day: 1985
13 India
Day: 1986
14 "India
Speaks" (publicity for PBS documentary)
15 "Master
Dyers to the World"--textile exhibit
box
11
1 "Patters
of Light and Life in North India"--Indira Johnson
2 "Perfumed
Garden"--Indian miniatures at Lake Forest College
3 Ray,
Satyajit, film maker
4 "Through
Indian Eyes"
5 Programs,
miscellaneous
6 Project
proposals, miscellaneous
Series
2.
Program and topical files, 1973-1998
Subseries
2.
Topical Files
box
11 continued:
7 Clippings,
Miscellaneous
8 Employment
counseling
9-10 Minority
status
box
12
1 Other
organizations: Air India
2 Other
organizations: Ameer Khusro Society of America
3 Other
organizations: Asia Society
4 Other
organizations: Asian Forum
5 Other
organizations: Asian Human Services
6 Other
organizations: Association of Indians in America
7 Other
organizations: AT&T
8 Other
organizations: Bangladesh Foundation
9 Other
organizations: Bengali Association of Greater Chicago
10 Other
organizations: Coordinating Committee of Indian Organizations 1978
box
13
1 Other
organizations: Federation of Indian Associations 1980-86
2 Other
organizations: Government of India Tourist Office
3 Other
organizations: Gujarat Cultural Association
4 Other
organizations: Illinois Arts Council
5 Other
organizations: India Development Service
6 Other
organizations: Indo-American Center
7 Other
organizations: Institute for Voluntary Organizations
8 Other
organizations: National Council of Asian Indian Organizations 1982
9 Other
organizations: University of Chicago. South Asia Language and
Area Center. Outreach
Educational Project.
10 Other
organizations: Miscellaneous
Series 3. Miscellaneous files, 1976-2007 & oversize folder (2009.73.1)
box
14
1 Event photos: 1976
2 Biographies of awards recipients: 1976
3 Minority status paper: 1976
4 Background material: 1976
5 Asian Indian identity: 1977
6 Proposal for integrated rural
development program: 1979
7 American sentiments toward Indian immigrants survey: 1979
8 Miscellaneous materials: 1981-1994
box
15
1 Correspondence: 1981-1995
2 Miscellaneous material: 1981-1998
3 Zubin Mehta event: 1992
4 Indians in America articles: 1986
5 Other organizations correspondence,
proposals, brochures: 1986-2006
6 Anti-Indian feelings and incidents
pilot study: 1988
7 Board of Directors material: 1988,
1993-1996
box
16
1 ILA constitution and bylaws: 1990,
1991
2 Trustee, board, and executive
committee minutes: 1990-1995
3 Board member general material:
1990-1996
4 Miscellaneous material: 1995
box
17
1 Financial materials: 1997-2005
2 Correspondence with Chicago Historical
Society: 1998-1999
3 Smithsonian exhibit: Devi the Great Goddess: 1998-1999
4 Financial records: 1998-2007
5 University of Iowa museum Devi the Great Goddess exhibit: 2001
1 oversize folder.