GREENWICH, CT – Greenwich Historical Society, in partnership with the India Cultural Center (ICC) and UConn Department of Social and Critical Inquiry’s program in Asian American Studies, is proud to announce the third annual student-curated exhibit My Story, Our Future: South Asian American Youth Voices in Connecticut, on view at the Historical Society from February 3 - March 2.
A private opening reception on Sunday, February 2 for participating students, their families and dignitaries, including Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, will feature talks with organization leaders, among them Dr. Jason Chang, associate professor of History and Asian American Studies at UConn and department head of Social and Critical Inquiry.
Created in alignment with Connecticut’s mandated K-12 Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) curriculum, the My Story, Our Future (MSOF) initiative began in 2022 to help build awareness of the immense contributions of South Asian Americans, and of the challenges, struggles and triumphs their immigrant families experienced in their assimilation to the U.S.
Through the vision and guidance of Dr. Chang, the chief proponent of the bill’s passage, South Asian American teens from area public and private high schools have developed intimate oral histories of their families’ experiences as a central feature of the MSOF exhibit. These histories, along with artifacts, photos and other memorabilia related to their South Asian American identity, will be artfully displayed with assistance from the Historical Society’s curatorial and education staff.
Initiative Informs State’s AAPI Curriculum to Roll-Out in Fall 2025
Dr. Chang and the Social and Critical Inquiry curriculum lab have used content and insights from the students’ MSOF oral histories to inform the course material and train teachers throughout the state in advance of the roll-out to grades K-12 statewide in September.
“We have cross-referenced content from the curriculum and MSOF, including some 25 podcasts and abstracts that enrich the material and experience for the teachers and the students. It is invaluable for teaching about the economic, cultural, social and political contributions of South Asian Americans here at home," said Dr. Chang.“This initiative is especially rewarding as Asian Americans, especially those of Indian origin, have outsized influence in American society, yet their contributions are often not known,” says Margie French, executive director of the India Cultural Center. “The largest number of Asian Americans in Connecticut are of Indian descent. On a national level, 70 percent have college degrees compared to the country’s average of less than 30 percent. And many CEOs from the largest corporations in the world, including Google, Microsoft, IBM, YouTube, FedEx, Chanel and MasterCard, have Indian roots.”
“The Historical Society is honored once again to host this important exhibit through the lens of students who are sharing intimate family stories in a dynamic, highly creative manner to increase awareness of the societal contributions of South Asian Americans,” says Lauren Ackerley, director of public programs and exhibitions at Greenwich Historical Society. “We are confident the community will benefit from their initiative which also will help the Historical Society to further its mission in strengthening our connection to our past, each other and our future.”
For more information on the exhibit: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/my-story-our-future-2025/.