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Virginia nonprofit to launch oral archive of Indian American community
A panel featuring prominent leaders will discuss identity, community, and the future of Indian Americans.
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Staff Reporter - Thu, 09, Jul 2026
- 18:30 EDT
- 55
hreads & Bridges Oral History Project / The Rith Initiative
The Rith Initiative, an Indian-American cultural nonprofit in Virginia, will launch the Threads & Bridges Oral History Project at the inaugural Threads & Bridges Festival.
Scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16 at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the festival will showcase the long-term oral history initiative documenting the experiences of Indian Americans across Virginia.
The community-driven initiative is aimed at preserving personal stories of migration, family traditions, language, faith, food and everyday life. Organizers said the project seeks to ensure that the experiences of Indian Americans become part of Virginia's historical record.
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Commenting on the idea behind the project, Ruchi Gupta, founder and creative director of the Rith Initiative said, “We didn’t know who the first Indian family in Virginia was, or when they came, or why they stayed. That question sent me down a rabbit hole that became Threads & Bridges — an internal gaze through a cultural lens, asking what culture we carried, and what culture we’re becoming.”
The project will initially present 10 oral histories and is intended to continue beyond the festival. Members of the public will be invited to contribute their own stories to the growing archive.
Rupa Ratnam Singh, co-producer of the Threads & Bridges Oral History Project said, “Not everything we carry is a conscious choice. Some parts of culture are inherited quietly — through the meals we eat, the languages we hear, the way we celebrate and grieve. These invisible threads are passed down without anyone ever saying, ‘This is your culture.’ Only later do we recognize what we’ve been carrying all along.”
The festival will feature live performances, exhibitions, storytelling sessions, panel discussions, food, artisan markets, children's activities and interactive cultural experiences. Organizers said the event explores how cultural traditions are preserved, adapted and passed on across generations.
The accompanying exhibition uses the metaphor of a loom to illustrate the Indian American experience. According to organizers, the "warp" represents the language, traditions, beliefs and memories brought by immigrants, while the "weft" symbolizes the contributions and adaptations of American-born generations, together creating a distinct Indian American identity.
A panel discussion titled "Being Indian-American: Its Responsibilities and Potentials" will be held on Aug. 16 and moderated by Niraj Verma, professor and former dean at Virginia Commonwealth University's L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
Confirmed panelists include Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, nbj Architecture president Neil Bhatt and The Atlantic Managing Editor Bhumika Tharoor. The discussion will examine cultural identity, civic engagement, the role of Indian Americans in strengthening ties between India and the United States, and the future of the diaspora.
The Rith Initiative,said the oral history project reflects its mission of preserving lived experiences through storytelling while promoting Indian culture, heritage and community engagement.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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