Minnesota Immigrant Oral Histories

School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC) Oral History Project

13 INTERVIEWS

DATE: 2000 – 2001

INTERVIEWER: Polly Sonifer

The School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC) is one of the oldest and largest such institutions in North America. It began operations in 1979 as the successor to the Bharat School.

SILC is unique for its longevity, the variety of its educational programs, and for its secular setting. Each of these attributes contributes to the school's success in attracting students whose families represent the great diversity of Indian language and cultural communities.

The SILC Oral History Project celebrates more than twenty years of success, and chronicles the school's growth, development, and adaptation to the needs of the Indian community in Minnesota. The interviews provide personal perspectives on the School's history, and thus supplement the two written histories noted below. Both books are part of the Minnesota Historical Society collections, as are the School's newsletters and records.

SILC: School of India for Languages and Culture, 1979-1989. 10th Anniversary

SILC: School of India for Languages and Culture, 1979-1999. 20 Year Celebration

LENGTH OF INTERVIEWS: 19 hours 59 minutes

TRANSCRIPTS: 588 pages