Kamal Singh immigrated to New York from India in 1964, arriving at a pivotal moment in both American and South Asian immigration history just a mere year before the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 would dismantle decades of restrictive quotas and open the door to a new wave of Asian immigrants. Kamal was among a select group chosen by the Indian government to participate in the 1964 New York World's Fair in Corona, Queens. For India, then a newly independent nation and a burgeoning power, the selection of representatives like Kamal was deliberate, she was an ambassador of a newly independent nation eager to announce itself on the world stage.
 
Among the belongings she carried across the world, one object stands apart: a "kada", a silver bracelet worn on wrist. The kada is a Sikh symbolize of divine connection and moral righteousness. That she chose to bring this object with her speaks to something essential about the immigrant experience: when everything familiar is left behind, what remains is what is most deeply held. In this way, this small silver bracelet does what the grandest historical narratives often cannot: it holds the weight of an individual life. She describes her excitement for America as one of the greatest thrills in her life (jumping for joy even) and what better way to enter it than with something chic on her wrist. While fairly simple, it complements the incredibly complex and layered experiences of South Asian immigrants coming to the United States. 

– MG

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant