HPL and FIS to Join Hands to Celebrate Indo-American Heritage iDay in 2018

FIS-in-1

From left: Krishna Vavilala, FIS Founder- Chairman; Roosevelt Weeks, HPL Deputy Director of Administration; Judith Hiott, HPL Chief of the Houston Area Library Automated Network; Jennifer Schwartz, HPL Manager of System wide Programming; Kulwant Bhatia, FIS Director; and Helen Chou, Manager International Services, City of Houston / HPL.

HOUSTON: Houston Public Library (HPL) and Foundation for India Studies (FIS) have met in Julia Ideson Library on March 9, to plan for Indo-American Heritage Celebrations in 2018 highlighting India’s heritage. HPL and the Foundation for India Studies will co-lead the effort to plan the event in 2018.

Encouraged by the success of last year’s “ Indo-American Heritage Day” event, held on March 26 in HPL’s historic Julia Ideson Library, Krishna Vavilala , Chair of FIS suggested to Roosevelt Weeks, Deputy Director of HPL that the “Indo-American Heritage Day” could be made into a City wide Annual event in the same way as HPL observes the African American and Hispanic American heritages.

Indians being a highly visible minority, the Indo-American Heritage Celebration would provide a great opportunity for the main stream Americans to learn and understand more about the heterogeneous composition and diversity of the Indian- American community living in the greater Houston area.

“It would also help minimize the hate crimes arising out of ignorance” said Krishna Vavilala.

HPL , a working partner in the FIS’s Oral History Project will plan and coordinate the Asian American Heritage Celebrations. Jennifer Schwartz, Manager of HPL System wide Programming is appointed the Chair of the Joint Planning Committee.

For further details email at info@foundationforindiastudies.org