Jump to content

Indian Americans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hari7478 (talk | contribs) at 18:52, 20 February 2014 (Sal Khan is a Bangladeshi-American). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Not to be confused with American Indians.

Indian American
Regions with significant populations
New Jersey, New York City, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Baltimore-Washington, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area
Languages
American English, Hindi,[1][2] Gujarati,[1][2] other Indian languages[2]
Religion
51% Hinduism, 23% Christianity, 10% Islam, 5% Unaffiliated, 5% Sikhism, 2% Jainism (2012)[3][4]
Related ethnic groups
Indo-Canadians
NRI

Indian Americans are Americans of Indian ancestry and comprise about 2.82 million people, or about 0.9% of the U.S. population, the country's third largest self-reported Asian ancestry group after Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans, according to American Community Survey of 2010 data.[5] The U.S. Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with the indigenous peoples of the Americas commonly referred to as American Indians.

History

The term: Indian

In the Americas, historically, Indian had been most commonly used to refer to the indigenous peoples. Qualifying terms such as American Indian and East Indian were and are commonly used to avoid ambiguity.

While East Indian remains in use, the term South Asian is often chosen instead. The U.S. government coined Native American to refer to the indigenous peoples of the United States, but American Indian remains popular among the indigenous and general populations.

People of Indian origin often prefer the term Desi to refer to the diasporic subculture of South Asians. Indian Americans are categorized as Asian Indian (and more broadly, Asian American) by the United States Census Bureau.

Arrival in the U.S.

It was after the Luce–Celler Act of 1946 that Indian Americans were restored naturalization rights in the United States.[6] A number of Indian Americans came to the U.S. via Indian communities in other countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, Suriname, Guyana, Fiji, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Trinidad & Tobago, and Jamaica.

Demographics

According to the 2010 United States Census,[7] the Asian Indian population in the United States grew from almost 1,678,765 in 2000 (0.6% of U.S. population) to 2,843,391 in 2010 (0.9% of U.S. population), a growth rate of 69.37%, one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, although it is still one of the smallest communities in the US, not even one percent. /[8][9][10][11]

India Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, is one of at least 20 Indian American enclaves characterized as a Little India which have emerged within the New York City Metropolitan Area, with the largest metropolitan Indian population outside Asia, as large-scale immigration from India continues into New York.[12][13][14][15]

The New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area, consisting of New York City, Long Island, and adjacent areas within New York, as well as nearby areas within the states of New Jersey (extending to Trenton), Connecticut (extending to Bridgeport), and including Pike County, Pennsylvania, was home to an estimated 614,214 Indian Americans as of the 2012 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, comprising by far the largest Indian American population of any metropolitan area in the United States;[16] New York City itself also contains by far the highest Indian American population of any individual city in North America, at approximately 207,414.[17] As of May 2013, Indian airline carriers Air India and Jet Airways as well as United States airline carrier United Airlines were all offering direct flights from the New York City Metropolitan Area to and from India. At least twenty Indian American enclaves characterized as a Little India have emerged in the New York City Metropolitan Area.

Other metropolitan areas with large Indian American populations include Baltimore–Washington, Boston, Chicago, Dallas–Ft. Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco–San Jose–Oakland.

U.S. metropolitan areas with large Indian American populations

Template:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:RankTemplate:Rank
Metropolitan Statistical Areas of the United States of America
Rank Metropolitan Statistical Area Total Population (2010) Indian American Population (2010)[18] % Indian American Asian American Population (2010)[18] [7] % Asian American Combined Statistical Area
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA MSA 18,897,109 526,133 2.8 1,878,261 9.9 New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA 12,828,837 119,901 0.9 1,884,669 14.7 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI MSA 9,461,105 171,901 1.8 532,801 5.6 Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI CSA
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA 6,371,773 100,386 1.6 341,503 5.4 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX CSA
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA 5,965,343 90,286 1.5 295,766 5.0 Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA 5,946,800 91,637 1.5 389,007 6.5 Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX CSA
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA 5,582,170 127,963 2.3 517,458 9.3 Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA 5,564,635 41,334 0.7 125,564 2.3 primary census statistical area
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA 5,268,860 178,980 1.5 356,956 4.9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH MSA 4,552,402 62,598 1.4 294,503 6.5 Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-RI-NH CSA
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA MSA 4,335,391 119,854 2.8 1,005,823 23.2 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI MSA 4,296,250 55,087 1.3 141,316 3.3 Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI CSA
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA 4,224,851 23,587 0.6 259,071 6.1 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ MSA 4,192,887 31,203 0.7 138,717 3.3 primary census statistical area
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MSA 3,439,809 52,652 1.5 392,961 11.4 Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA CSA
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA 3,279,833 29,453 0.9 188,018 5.7 Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI CSA
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA MSA 3,095,313 24,306 0.8 336,091 10.0 San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA MSA[19]
St. Louis, MO-IL MSA 2,812,896 16,874 0.6 60,072 2.1 St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL CSA
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA 2,783,243 23,526 0.8 80,879 2.9 primary census statistical area
Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA 2,710,489 32,193 1.2 122,911 4.5 Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO MSA 2,543,482 13,649 0.5 94,005 3.7 Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO CSA
Pittsburgh, PA MSA 2,356,285 14,568 0.6 41,238 1.8 Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA CSA
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA 2,226,009 15,117 0.7 126,965 5.7 primary census statistical area
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA 2,134,411 26,105 1.2 84,852 5.0 Orlando-Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL CSA
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN MSA 2,130,151 14,696 0.7 40,422 1.9 Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH MSA 2,077,240 14,215 0.7 40,522 2.0 Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH CSA
Kansas City, MO-KS MSA 2,035,334 11,646 0.6 46,221 2.3 Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS CSA
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA 1,836,911 117,711 6.4 571,967 31.3 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA
Indianapolis-Carmel, IN MSA 1,756,241 12,669 0.7 39,576 2.3 Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN CSA
Richmond, VA MSA 1,258,251 12,926 1.0 39,265 3.1 primary census statistical area
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA 1,212,381 18,764 1.5 47,339 3.9 Hartford-West Hartford-Willimantic, CT CSA
Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA 1,130,490 20,192 1.8 49,862 4.4 Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA
Fresno, CA MSA 930,450 15,469 1.7 89,357 9.6 Fresno-Madera, CA CSA
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA 916,829 15,439 1.7 42,284 4.6 New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
Stockton, CA MSA 685,306 12,951 1.9 98,472 14.4 primary census statistical area
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO MSA 422,610 3,534 0.9 12,948 3.06 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO MSA
Trenton-Ewing, NJ MSA 366,513 15,352 4.2 32,752 8.9 New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA

While the table above provides a picture of the population of Indian American (alone) and Asian Americans (alone) in some of the metropolitan areas of the US, it is incomplete as it does NOT include multi-racial Asian Americans. Please note that data for multi-racial Asian Americans has not yet been released by the US Census Bureau.

List of U.S. States by population of Asian Indians

State Asian Indian Population (2000 Census) Asian Indian Population (2010 Census)[20] Percent Change, 2000 - 2010
California 360,392 528,176 46.6%
New York 296,056 313,620 5.9%
New Jersey 169,180 292,256 72.7%
Texas 129,365 245,981 90.1%
Illinois 124,723 188,328 51.0%
Florida 70,740 128,735 82.0%
Virginia 48,815 103,916 112.9%
Pennsylvania 57,241 103,026 80.0%
Georgia 46,132 96,116 108.3%
Maryland 49,909 79,051 58.4%
Massachusetts 43,801 77,177 76.2%
Michigan 54,656 77,132 41.1%
Ohio 38,752 64,187 65.6%
Washington 23,992 61,124 154.8%
North Carolina 26,197 57,400 119.1%
Connecticut 23,662 46,415 96.2%
Arizona 14,741 36,047 144.5%
Minnesota 16,887 33,031 95.6%
Indiana 14,865 27,598 85.7%
Tennessee 12,835 23,900 86.2%
Missouri 12,169 23,223 90.8%
Wisconsin 12,665 22,899 80.85
Colorado 11,720 20,369 73.8%
Oregon 9,575 16,740 74.8%
South Carolina 8,856 15,941 80.0%
Kansas 8,153 13,848 69.9%
Alabama 6,900 13,036 88.9%
Kentucky 6,771 12,501 84.6%
Oklahoma 8,502 11,906 40.0%
Nevada 5,535 11,671 110.9%
Delaware 5,280 11,424 116.4%
Louisiana 8,280 11,174 35.0%
Iowa 5,641 11,081 96.4%
New Hampshire 3,873 8,268 113.5%
Arkansas 3,104 7,973 156.9%
Utah 3,065 6,212 102.7%
Nebraska 3,273 5,903 80.4%
Mississippi 3,827 5,494 43.6%
Washington, D.C 2,845 5,214 83.3%
Rhode Island 2,942 4,653 58.2%
New Mexico 3,104 4,550 46.6%
Puerto Rico 4,789 3,523 -26.4%
West Virginia 2,856 3,304 15.7%
Hawaii 1,441 2,201 52.7%
Idaho 1,289 2,152 67.0%
Maine 1,021 1,959 91.9%
North Dakota 822 1,543 87.7%
Vermont 858 1,359 58.4%
Alaska 723 1,218 68.5%
South Dakota 611 1,152 88.5%
Montana 379 618 63.1%
Wyoming 354 589 66.4%
Total Asian Indian population in the US 1,678,765 2,843,391 69.4%

Historical population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
19102,545—    
19202,507−1.5%
19303,130+24.9%
19402,405−23.2%
1980361,531+14932.5%
1990815,447+125.6%
20001,678,765+105.9%
20102,843,391+69.4%

[19][22] Note: Pre-1980 data refers to ethnic "Hindus".

Statistics on Indians in the U.S.

The United States is host to the second largest Indian diaspora on the planet

In the year 2006, of the total 1,266,264 legal immigrants to the United States, 58,072 were from India. Immigration from India is currently at its highest level in history. Between 2000 and 2006, 421,006 Indian immigrants were admitted to the U.S., up from 352,278 during the 1990–1999 period.[23] According to the 2000 U.S. census, the overall growth rate for Indians from 1990 to 2000 was 105.87 percent. The average growth rate for the whole of USA was only 7.6 percent.

Indians comprise 16.4 percent of the Asian-American community. They are the third largest in the Asian American population. In 2000, of all the foreign born population in U.S., Indians were 1.007 million. From 2000 onwards the growth rate and the per cent rate of Indians amongst all the immigrants has increased by over 100 percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1990 and 2000, the Indian population in the U.S. grew 130% — 10 times the national average of 13%.

Indian Americans are the third largest Asian American ethnic group today, following Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans.[24][25][26]

A joint Duke University – UC Berkeley study revealed that Indian immigrants have founded more engineering and technology companies from 1995 to 2005 than immigrants from the UK, China, Taiwan and Japan combined.[27] A University of California, Berkeley, study reported that one-third of the engineers in Silicon Valley are of Indian descent, while 7% of valley hi-tech firms are led by Indian CEOs.

Socioeconomic

Education

Indian Americans continuously outpace most ethnic groups socioeconomically to reach the summit of the U.S. Census charts.[28] Indian Americans, along with other Asian Americans, have attained the highest educational levels of all ethnic groups in the U.S. 71% of all Indians have a bachelor's or high degree (compared to 28% nationally and 44% average for all Asian American groups). Almost 40% of all Indians in the United States have a master’s, doctorate or other professional degree, which is five times the national average.[29][30] Thomas Friedman, in his recent book, The World is Flat, explains this trend in terms of brain drain, whereby the best and brightest elements in India emigrate to the U.S. in order to seek better financial opportunities.[31]

Educational Attainment: 2010[32]
(25 and Older)
Ethnicity Bachelor's Degree
or Higher
Indian 71.1%
Chinese 52.4%
Filipino 48.1%
Total US Population 28.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Educational Attainment[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]
Ethnicity or nationality Percent of Population
Taiwanese 74.1%
Indian 67.9%
Pakistani 60.9%
Jews 59.0%
Iranian 57.2%
Korean 50.8%
Chinese (incl. Taiwanese) 50.2%
Venezuelan 49.7%
Filipino 47.9%
Japanese 43.7%
Bangladeshi 41.9%
Argentinean 38.9%
Non-Hispanic White 30.7%
General US Population 28.0%
Vietnamese 26.1%
Black 16.5%
Hmong 16.0%
Cambodian 14.6%
Laotian 13.0%

Economics

Main article: Model minority

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Indian Americans had the highest household income of all ethnic groups in the United States.

According to the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, there are close to 35,000 Indian American doctors.[42]

Among Indian Americans, 72.3% participate in the U.S. work force, of which 57.7% are employed in managerial and professional specialties.[43] As of 2010 66.3% of Indian Americans are employed in select professional and managerial specialties compared with the national average of 35.9%.[44]

In 2002, there were over 223,000 Asian Indian-owned firms in the U.S., employing more than 610,000 workers, and generating more than $88 billion in revenue.[45]

Median Household Income: 2009
Ethnicity Household Income
Indians $88,538[46]
Filipinos $75,146[47]
Chinese $69,037[48]
Japanese $64,197[49]
Koreans $53,025[50]
Total US Population $50,221

Culture

Entertainment

Hindi radio stations are available in areas with high Indian populations, for example, Easy96.com in the New York tri - state areas, KLOK 1170 AM IN San Francisco, RBC Radio; Radio Humsafar, Desi Junction in Chicago; Radio Salaam Namaste in Dallas; and Music Masala, FunAsia Radio, Sangeet Radio, Radio Naya Andaz in Houston and Washington Bangla Radio on Internet from the Washington DC Metro Area. There are also some radio stations broadcasting in Tamil and Telugu within these communities.[51][52] Houston based Kannada Kaaranji radio focuses on a multitude of programs for children and adults.[53]

South Asian magazine, SBR MAGAZINE(Style & Beauty Resource - Previously known as "Sabse Bada Rupaiya Magazine"), one of the world’s leading publications, offers readers a print and online magazine filled with various beauty, health, fashion, and entertainment news and updates targeted to the young professionals in the Indian community nationwide.

Several cable and satellite television providers offer Indian channels: Sony TV, Zee TV, Star Plus, Sahara One, Colors, Big Magic, regional channels, and others have offered Indian content for subscription, such as the Cricket World Cup.

Many metropolitan areas with large Indian-American populations now have movie theaters which specialize in showing Indian movies, especially from Bollywood.

In July 2005, MTV premiered a spin-off network called MTV Desi which targets Indian Americans.[54] It has been discontinued by MTV.

In 2012, the film Not a Feather, but a Dot was released which investigates the history, perceptions and changes in the Indian-American community over the last century.

Religions

Indian religions
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago
Gurdwara Sahib of San Jose
Jain Center of Greater Phoenix (JCGP)

Communities of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Jews, from India have established their religions in the United States. According to 2012 Pew Research Center, 51% Consider themselves Hindus, 18% as Christians (Protestant 11%, Catholic 5%, Other Christian 3%), 10% as Muslims, 5% as Sikh, 2% as Jain and 10% are Unaffiliated.[4]

The first religious centre of an Indian religion to be established in the US was a Sikh Gurudwara in Stockton, California in 1912. Today there are many Sikh Gurudwaras, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain Temples in all the 50 states.

As of 2008, the American Hindu population was around 2.2 million,[55] and Hindus are the majority of Indian Americans.[56][57] Many sects such as ISKCON, Swaminarayan Sampraday, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Chinmaya Mission, and Swadhyay Pariwar are well-established in the U.S. Hindu Americans have formed the Hindu American Foundation which represents American Hindus and aims to educate people about Hinduism.

Swami Vivekananda brought Hinduism to the West at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions.[58] The Vedanta Society has been important in subsequent Parliaments. Today, many Hindu temples, most of them built by Indian Americans have emerged in different cities and towns in the United States.[59][60] More than 18 million Americans are now practicing some form of Yoga. Kriya Yoga was introduced to America by Paramahansa Yogananda. In addition, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada initiated the popular ISKCON also known as Hare Krishna movement while preaching Bhakti yoga.

Indian Muslim Americans generally congregate with other American Muslims, including those from Pakistan and Bangladesh, but there are prominent organizations such as the Indian Muslim Council - USA.[61]

Adherents of Jainism first arrived in the United States in the 20th century. The most significant time of Jain immigration was in the early 1970s. The United States has since become a center of the Jain Diaspora. The Federation of Jain Associations in North America is an umbrella organization of local American and Canadian Jain congregations to preserve, practice, and promote Jainism and the Jain Way of Life.[62]

There are many Indian Christian churches across the US; Church of South India, Church of North India, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Knanaya, Indian Orthodox Church, Mar Thoma Church (reformed orthodox), Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church, The Pentecostal Mission, Plymouth Brethren, and the India Pentecostal Church of God. Such impact can be seen with the significant presence of Indian Evangelicals in mainstream American Churches.[63][64] The Indian Christian Americans have formed the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA) to represent a network of Indian Christian Organizations in the United States and Canada. FIACONA estimates the Indian American Christian population to be 600,000.[65] There are also Catholic Indians hailing originally from Goa and Kerala, who attend the same services as other American Catholics, but may celebrate the feast of Saint Francis Xavier as a special event of their identity.[66]

The large Parsi community is represented by the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America.[67] Indian Jews are perhaps the smallest organized religious group among Indian Americans, consisting of approximately 350 members in the United States. They form the Indian Jewish Congregation of USA with headquarters in New York City.[68]

Ethnicity

Like the terms "Asian American" or "South Asian American", the term "Indian American" is also an umbrella label applying to a variety of views, values, lifestyles, and appearances. Although Asian-Indian Americans retain a high ethnic identity, they are known to assimilate into American culture while at the same time keeping the culture of their ancestors.[69] They may assimilate more easily than many other immigrant groups because they have fewer language barriers (since English is widely spoken in India among professional classes), more educational credentials (as Indian immigrants are disproportionately well-educated), and come from a democratic society. Additionally, Indian culture, like many other Asian cultures, puts emphasis upon achievement and personal responsibility of the individual as a reflection upon the family and community.

In countries such as the United States, Canada, and until more recently, the United Kingdom, there has been a large influx of Indian immigrants, beginning in the late 1960s. As a result of assimilation, mixed Caucasian and Indian backgrounds are becoming more prevalent. The 2001 U.S. Census Bureau’s publication of the 56,497,000 married couples, shows that overall the percentage of Indian males married to White females (7.1%) was higher than Indian females marrying with White males (3.7%); whilst for those who were US born the reverse was true with more Indian females marrying with White males (39.1%) than Indian males married to White females (27.3%).[70]

Linguistic affiliation

The United States is also home to associations of Indians united by linguistic affiliation. Some major organizations include, Telugu Association of North America TANA, NorthAmerican Telugu Association NATA, Federation of Kerala Associations in North America, Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA), Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America, North American Bengali Conference and Orissa Society of the Americas. These associations generally put on cultural programs, plays, and concerts during some major Hindu festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi and other religious (e.g., Christian) and cultural events such as Christmas and New Year.

Immigration and progression timeline

Timeline

Classification

Main article: Racial classification of Indian Americans

According to the current parameters defining the official U.S. racial categories employed by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget and other U.S. government agencies, American citizens or resident aliens who marked "Asian-Indian" as their ancestry or wrote in a term that automatically gets classified as an "Asian-Indian" gets classified as part of the Asian race on the 2000 US Census. As with other modern official U.S. government racial categories, the term "Asian" is in itself a broad and heterogeneous classification, encompassing all peoples with origins in the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. For further discussion on the term Asian American, please see that article.

In previous decades, Indian Americans were also variously classified as White American, the "Hindu race", and Other.[81] Even today, where individual Indian Americans do not racially self-identify, and instead report Muslim (or a sect of Islam such as Shi'ite or Sunni), Jewish, and Zoroastrian as their "race" in the "Some other race" section without noting their country of origin, they are automatically tallied as white.[82] This may result in the counting of persons such as Indian Muslims, Indian Jews, and Indian Zoroastrians as white, if they solely report their religious heritage without their national origin.

Current social issues

Discrimination

See also: Stereotypes of South Asians

In the 1980s, a gang known as the Dotbusters specifically targeted Indian Americans in Jersey City, New Jersey with violence and harassment.[83] Studies of racial discrimination, as well as stereotyping and scapegoating of Indian Americans have been conducted in recent years.[84] In particular, racial discrimination of Indian Americans in the workplace has been correlated with Indophobia due to the rise in outsourcing/offshoring paranoia, whereby Indian Americans are blamed for US companies offshoring white-collar labor to India.[85][86] According to the offices of the Congressional Caucus on India, many Indian Americans are severely concerned of a backlash, though nothing serious has taken place yet.[86] Due to various socio-cultural reasons, implicit racial discrimination against Indian Americans largely go unreported by the Indian American community.[84]

Numerous cases of religious stereotyping of American Hindus (mainly of Indian origin) have also been documented.[87]

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, there have been scattered incidents of Indian Americans becoming mistaken targets for hate crimes. In one example, a Sikh, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was murdered at a Phoenix gas station by a white supremacist. This happened after September 11, and the murderer claimed that his turban made him think that the victim was a Middle Eastern American. In another example, a pizza deliverer was mugged and beaten in Massachusetts for "being Muslim" though the victim pleaded with the assailants that he was in fact Hindu.[88] In December, 2012, an Indian American in New York City was pushed from behind onto the tracks at the 40th Street-Lowery Street station in Sunnyside and killed.[89] The police arrested a woman, Erika Menendez, who admitted to the act and justified it, stating that she shoved him onto the tracks because she believed he was "a Hindu or a Muslim" and she wanted to retaliate for the attacks of Sep 11, 2001.[90]

In 2004, New York Senator Hillary Clinton joked at a fundraising event with South Asians for Nancy Farmer that Mahatma Gandhi owned a gas station in downtown St. Louis, fueling the stereotype that gas stations are owned by Indians and other South Asians. She clarified in the speech later that she was just joking, but still received some criticism for the statement later on for which she apologized again.[91]

On April 5, 2006, the Hindu Mandir of Minnesota was vandalized allegedly on the basis of religious discrimination[citation needed]. The vandals damaged temple property leading to $200,000 worth of damage.[92][93][94]

On August 11, 2006, Senator George Allen allegedly referred to an opponent's political staffer of Indian ancestry as "macaca" and commenting, "Welcome to America, to the real world of Virginia". Some members of the Indian American community saw Allen's comments, and the backlash that may have contributed to Allen losing his re-election bid, as demonstrative of the power of YouTube in the 21st century.[95]

In 2006, then Delaware Senator and current U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was caught on microphone saying: "In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking."[96]

The India Anti-Defamation Committee was founded to combat violations of civil and human rights, discrimination and racism against Indians both in the United States and globally.[citation needed]

Illegal Immigration

See also: Illegal immigration to the United States and Illegal immigration amongst Asian Americans

In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security estimated that there were two hundred thousand (200,000) Indian unauthorized immigrants; they are the sixth largest nationality (tied with Koreans) of illegal immigrants behind Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Philippines.[97] Indian Americans are also the fastest growing illegal immigrant group in the United States, with an increase in illegal immigration of 125% since 2000.[98][99]

Immigration

Indians are among the largest ethnic groups legally immigrating to the United States. The immigration of Indians has taken place in several waves since the first Indian came to the United States in the 1700s. A major wave of immigration to California from the region of Punjab took place in the first decade of the 20th century. Another significant wave followed in the 1950s which mainly included students and professionals. The elimination of immigration quotas in 1965 spurred successively larger waves of immigrants in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With the technology boom of the 1990s, the largest influx of Indians arrived between 1995 and 2000. This latter group has also caused surge in the application for various immigration benefits including applications for green card. This has resulted in long waiting periods for people born in India from receiving these benefits.

As of 2012, over 330,000 Indians were on the visa wait list, third only to Mexico and The Philippines.[100]

Media

Main article: List of Indian American media

Politics

Several groups have tried to create a unified or dominant voice for the Indian American community in political affairs, including US India PAC.[101] Additionally, there are also industry-wide Indian American groupings including the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin. A majority of Indian Americans tend to identify as moderates and have voted for Democrats in recent elections. Polls before the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election showed Indian Americans favoring Democratic candidate John Kerry over Republican George W. Bush by a 53% to 14% margin, with 30% undecided at the time.[102] The Republican party has tried to target this community for political support,[103] and in 2007, Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal became the first United States Governor of Indian descent when he was elected Governor of Louisiana[104] Nikki Haley, also of Indian descent and a fellow Republican, became Governor of South Carolina in 2010. A list of notable Indian American politicians and commentators can be found here.

Notable Indian Americans

Main article: List of Indian Americans

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Migration Information Source - Indian Immigrants in the United States". Migrationinformation.org. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf see page 3
  3. ^ Pew Forum - Asian Americans: A Mosaic of Faiths
  4. ^ a b Pew Forum - Indian Americans' Religions
  5. ^ a b "Race Reporting for the Asian Population by Selected Categories: 2010". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  6. ^ "Roots in the Sand - the Archives". PBS. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  7. ^ http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table
  8. ^ "Census shows growth among Asian Indians". USA Today. May 17, 2011.
  9. ^ Voice of Asia[dead link]
  10. ^ "Census: Asian-Indian Population Explodes Across U.S. | Divanee - South Asian news and entertainment". Divanee. May 19, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  11. ^ http://losangeles.pointslocal.com/news/2011/05/13/losangeles/320413/indian-american-population-is-fastest-growing-minority-group
  12. ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2012 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  13. ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2011 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  14. ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  15. ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2009 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  16. ^ "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  17. ^ "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES Geographies Table DP05 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  18. ^ a b [1]
  19. ^ a b "America's Asian Population Patterns 2000-2010". Proximityone.com. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  20. ^ http://www.usindiafriendship.net/census/statepop.htm
  21. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Illinois' 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  22. ^ "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States". Census.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  23. ^ Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: Fiscal Years 1820 to 2006
  24. ^ "US demographic census". Retrieved December 16, 2006. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "US demographic census". Retrieved November 19, 2006. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ "US demographic census". Retrieved November 19, 2006. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Assisi, Francis C. (January 4, 2007). "News & Analysis: Skilled Indian Immigrants Create Wealth for America". INDOlink. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  28. ^ "USA�s best: Indian Americans top community - World - IBNLive". Ibnlive.in.com. February 20, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  29. ^ The Indian American Centre for Political Awareness.
  30. ^ CIA - The World Factbook - India
  31. ^ MIT World » : The World is Flat
  32. ^ 2008-2010 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates
  33. ^ "Educational Attainment: 2000" Census 2000 Brief, U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-24.pdf
  34. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/IPTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201PR&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201T&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201TPR&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-reg=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201PR:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201T:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201TPR:012&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format=
  35. ^ "We the People: Asians in the United States" Census 2000 Special Reports, U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/censr-17.pdf
  36. ^ "Migration Information Source – Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born". Migrationinformation.org. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  37. ^ "An Overview of Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Iranian-American Community based on the 2000 U.S. Census" (PDF). isgmit.org.
  38. ^ data from 2008 The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Lif US Religious Landscape Survey Educational Level by Religious Tradition
  39. ^ "Hmong Profiles 2010 American Community Survey". HmongStudies.org. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  40. ^ A Closer Look at Asian Americans and Education, C.N. Le
    ^ About me, C.N. Le, asian-nation.org.
  41. ^ Kim, Angela; Yeh, Christine J (2002), Stereotypes of Asian American Students, ERIC Educational Reports
  42. ^ "Indian Americans in New Hampshire". US India Political Action Committee. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  43. ^ Indian-Americans: A Story of Achievement
  44. ^ "American Factfinder". Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  45. ^ Asian Indian Summary of Findings
  46. ^ United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Asian Indian alone or in any combination)
  47. ^ United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Filipino alone or in any combination)
  48. ^ United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Chinese alone or in any combination)
  49. ^ United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Japanese alone or in any combination)
  50. ^ United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Korean alone or in any combination)
  51. ^ [2][dead link]
  52. ^ maganti.vamsi   View profile    More options (June 11, 2008). "A Telugu Radio Show - Every Saturday - రచ్చబండ (తెలుగు-యూనికోడ్)". Google Groups. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  53. ^ "houstonkannada.com". houstonkannada.com. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  54. ^ Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Top Stories | MTV
  55. ^ http://www.hafsite.org/sites/default/files/HT_Census_USA_Jan08.pdf
  56. ^ Composite U.S. Demographics
  57. ^ Hinduism
  58. ^ Origin Of Hinduism In America
  59. ^ The Council of Hindu Temples of North America
  60. ^ Hindu Temples in USA - HinduTemples in America
  61. ^ [3][dead link]
  62. ^ "About JAINA". Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  63. ^ "Indian Church, Churches and places of worship in the US. Asian Church in America, Indians, NRIs and Immigrants in America from Garamchai.Com". Garamchai.Com ... Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  64. ^ http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/40-1-2_058.pdf
  65. ^ A Merry Indian American Christmas
  66. ^ Goans of the North Atlantic. By Clifford Pereira. In Migration, technology, and transculturation: A global Perspective. Edited by Myna German and Padmini Banerjee. Center for International and Global Studies. 2011. Lindenwood University Press. St. Charles MO, USA. ISBN 978-0-9846307-4-5
  67. ^ F E Z A N A - Home
  68. ^ Indian Jewish Congregation of USA Newsletter
  69. ^ Mogelonsky, "Asian-Indian Americans," pp. 32–38
  70. ^ The Multiracial Activist - www.multiracial.com - The Reality of Interracial Marriages
  71. ^ Martha W. McCartney; Lorena S. Walsh; Ywone Edwards-Ingram; Andrew J. Butts; Beresford Callum (2003). "A Study of the Africans and African Americans on Jamestown Island and at Green Spring, 1619-1803" (PDF). Historic Jamestowne. National Park Service. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
    Francis C.Assisi (May 16, 2007). "Indian Slaves in Colonial America". India Currents. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  72. ^ [4]
  73. ^ Okihiro, Gary Y. (2005). The Columbia Guide To Asian American History. Columbia University Press. p. 178. ISBN 9780231115117. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  74. ^ "Chapter 9: Home Life". Echoes of Freedom: South Asian Pioneers in California, 1899–1965. The Library, University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  75. ^ Shah, Nayan (2011). "Policing Strangers and Borderlands". Stranger Intimacy: Contesting Race, Sexuality, and the Law in the North American West. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. 74–78. ISBN 978-0-520-27087-9. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  76. ^ PBS - Roots in the Sand - Bhagat Singh Thind
  77. ^ Asian Indian Women in America
  78. ^ ""Mission Statement", South Asian American Digital Archive".
  79. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (February 6, 2011). "New York Times, February 6, 2011". The New York Times.
  80. ^ "Indian American Arun Kumar nominated to Top White House Post". Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  81. ^ Assisi, Frank. Desparades. 2006. Are Desis White?.
  82. ^ Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results. 2007. May 21, 2007. "Race and Nationality Descriptions from the 2000 US Census and Bureau of Vital Statistics"
  83. ^ In Jersey City, Indians Protest Violence
  84. ^ a b Discrimination at Work by Harmeet Dhillon
  85. ^ Indophobia: Facts versus Fiction, Arvind Panagariya, Columbia University archives of The Economic Times
  86. ^ a b Worries about technical-job losses, discrimination, by Amy Yee,The Financial Times Ltd, 2004
  87. ^ Center for the study of history and memory
  88. ^ "Hindu Beaten Because He's Muslim". CBS News. November 25, 2002.
  89. ^ Santora, Marc; Maslin Nir, Sarah (December 28, 2012). "Woman Sought After 2nd Fatal Shove Onto Subway Tracks This Month". New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  90. ^ Lee, Vivian (December 31, 2012). "Subway Victim Recalled as Always Lending a Hand". New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  91. ^ Suhr, Jim (January 7, 2004). "Hillary Clinton regrets Gandhi joke - US news - Life - Race & ethnicity | NBC News". MSNBC. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  92. ^ wcco.com - 600 Attend Forum About Hindu Temple Vandalism
  93. ^ New Header
  94. ^ indianexpress.com
  95. ^ Andrew Leonard (November 9, 2006). "How the World Works: Hail Macaca!". Salon.com.
  96. ^ "Joe Biden speaks with Indian accent during speech on outsourcing\". Daily Mail. January 26, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  97. ^ Michael Hoefer (January 2010). "Estimates of the Unathorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2009" (PDF). DHS Office of Immigration Statistics. United States Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved March 8, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  98. ^ Indians fastest-growing illegal immigrants in U.S.
  99. ^ Illegal Indians in US
  100. ^ "Annual Report of Immigration Visa Applicants in the Family-sponsored and Employment-based preferences Registered at the National Visa Center as of November 1, 2012" (PDF). Bureau of Consular Affairs. United States Secretary of State. November 1, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  101. ^ USINPAC - US India Political Action Committee | Indian American Community | www.usinpac.com
  102. ^ Asia Times - Asia's most trusted news source
  103. ^ [5][dead link]
  104. ^ [6][dead link]

Articles

News

Photography project

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_Americans&oldid=596375427"