Oral History Interview with Gita Doshi

LUANN JOHSON: Speaking with Gita Doshi. And we were talking about um, um, Indian fest--or religious festivals.

GITA DOSHI: Yes. And we have a Holi. Or round about comes in uh...March. Or April. It's like a spring festival. Because mmm, in India, it's naturally agriculture country. And people are celebrating the new, you know...seasons. The good farming community. Good growths. And uh, communities, you know, celebrates the spring seasons. It's called Holi. We throw the nice fest--different colors on each other. And it's a kind of a--Holi and Diwali, they're the most popular. There are several different uh, holidays. we celebrate the Fourth of 1:00July--sorry, the 15th of August is our Independence Day.

JOHNSON: Mhmm.

DOSHI: India became independent. From British uh, in 1945, '46. And uh, we celebrate the 15th of August. And 26th of January also we celebrate uh, Indian festival. I think it's also a...government holidays. I don't remember what is the significance. But 15th of August is uh, Independence Day.

JOHNSON: So when you first moved to Kentucky did you--in the beginning, did you still remember a lot of these uh...holidays?

DOSHI: Yes, I remember. But then over the years, I have completely, you know--because you, you don't uh, practice. Or you don't participate. You get to even, even the Gujarati language, you know. Because I grew up and studied 2:00English. You know, people is always ask me that, "Was it difficult for you to speak English?" Speaking English wasn't difficult for me. Because we, we in college, we wrote the, our comp papers in English. And we, in (indeterminable) physiology in American school, you have everything was in English, you know. Writing and--

JOHNSON: What age did you been learning English?

DOSHI: We started learning, I started learning English in second or third grade. Because English that's a part of, it's a subject in India. And we have to have four languages and uh, and our national language was Hindi. Where that was mandatory for us to take it. English was optional. You don't have to take it. But Gujarati, our state language, because I'm from Gujarati. The Sanskrit...was a language. Old, old Indian ancient language that we took it. In English, that 3:00means I took the four languages. And uh, plus my science classes and everything. But speaking English was never a problem. But understanding, coming to Kentucky straight from Bombay, and uh, you know, going in a small community. Understanding the language was uh, difficult for me for awhile. 'Cause people had a hard time understanding me, and then they have a hard time--I have a hard time understanding them.

JOHNSON: Mhmm.

DOSHI: They have different Southern accent. But uh, learning English was a part of our education. It didn't bother me. Speaking...English.

JOHNSON: Um, I guess we've been talking for quite awhile, and we can start wrapping it up. I was wondering um, these tapes will be going into um, an 4:00archive so future generations will have a chance to hear your experiences of how you settled into the Bowling Green area. Um, are there anything, anythings that you--any stories or things that you want to say? Or...want to um...speak to the future generations about?

DOSHI: Hmm...This community has really given us a...you know it's a give and take. Uh, we have been a good citizens to this community. And this community's wonderful. My three children has graduated from Bowling Green High School in the top honor. Top five graduates. And um, given the speech uh, on the, you know, in their commencements day. And it's, I think it's been a wonderful um...experience. Um, we had, and we have it in Bowling Green. I like my, you 5:00know, grandchildren or any Indian children, ever have a chance to listen to the tape or um....This is a nice community to raise the children. And raise the family. I wish we had more Indian family. Or I wish we can do a little more. And--but uh, this community understands a lot. Like right now, I think we have uh...uh what? Twelve or fifteen different uh, country people settle in Bowling Green. You see a lot of uh, international. This--Bowling Green has become international community. Right now, a lot of uh, people coming from Kosovo. We have a lot of Bosnians. I have a gentleman is working for me in my yard, he's 6:00from Bosnia. And uh, you know, Bowling Green is good to the, for the international community. And I hope and pray that, you know, we--to sum it up, we are all god's children. You know, we are all human being. We need to understand and learn each other's religious, each other's culture and belief. And uh, learn, you know, live has a big, happy family. That's all I have to say, you know.

JOHNSON: (laughs)

DOSHI: Thank you so much.

JOHNSON: Thank you so much.

(tape cuts out)

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