South Asian immigration and immigrant profiles

= South Asian immigration in the United States =

Origins
South Asian immigration to the United States took place in two major phases. The first wave took place in the early 1900s, where mainly Punjabis emigrated from India. These immigrants, along with those from Japan and Korea, experienced exclusion and racism until the the mid-1960s. The second and largest wave, beginning in 1965, was spurred by the repeal of the Immigration and Nationality Act which established the quota system in the 1920s. By the end of the century, about 900,000 South Asians had immigrated to the US. Of these immigrants, many came seeking educational opportunities or work in white-collar fields, such as medicine and engineering.

The following video entitled "Roots and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest" uses oral history to define the effects of immigration from South Asia. This video shows how the region affected individuals and shows the changes over time and across generations. Upon entry to the United States, many South Asian immigrants ended up in Washington and Oregon in the nineteenth century due to Asian immigration restrictions put in place as a result of World War II.

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Population
South Asian immigration into the United States is vast and varied. South Asian immigrant becomes a broad term as it encompasses several different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In the United States specifically, the South Asian community consists of individuals from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indian-Americans are by far the predominant South Asian cultural group present in the U.S., as is apparent by the image below.



The following image from the Allied Media Corp shows the Indian-American Population throughout the United States in the year 2005. This is a more informative visual as it provides a value range for the number of Indian-Americans residing within each of the United States in the year 2005.



According to "A Demographic Snapshot of South Asians in the United States," a report released in February 2012 by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), over 3.4 million South Asians live in the United States and over 80% of those are of Indian decent. "Between 2000 and 2010, the South Asian American population became the fastest growing major ethnic group in the United States and has emerged in new areas of the country." Below is a table provided by this report detailing the top five U.S. metropolitan areas for selected South Asian groups in 2010.



The following image is of the United States, which shows that, "Beyond the areas that historically have large South Asian populations; the community has experienced the greatest growth outside of these 'traditional' metropolitan areas.



Economic Success
Some of the statistics for success in terms of immigration to the United States is measured in terms of education and income. Asian Indians, in particular, have impressive statistics. Among all United States ethnic groups, Asian Indians have the highest annual median household income according to Allied Media Corp. 64% of Asian Indians have attained at least a bachelor's degree and 40% have attained at least a master's degree. It is estimates that the combined disposable income for Asian Indians in America is $88 billion, and an estimated annual buying power of $20 billion.



Education and Working Lives
In the mid-1900s, professionals such as doctors and engineers immigrated to America in response to the scientific advances made by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. From 1980-present, South Asians were immigrating to reunite with their families, seeking higher education and better job opportunities. Unlike the generations before, these immigrants typically occupied working-class jobs running hotels and convenience stores.

According to an article titled "Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region" published by Migration Information Source, over the past 30 years the mobility of professionals, executives, technicians, and other highly skilled personnel has grown. This contrasts the typical low-skilled worker as an Asian immigrant. The article states, "This "brain-drain" can mean a serious loss of human capital in medicine, science, engineering, management, and education. Depending on the origin country's labor needs, losing such people can present a major obstacle to development."

Culture and Festivals
From the South Asian American Leading Together organization's page says, "South Asians are not only diverse in terms of national origin, but also by virtue of possessing a variety of ethnic, religious, and linguistic characteristics." Some of these religions include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism. The most common language used by South Asians in the United States is English; however, some other common languages are Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. Out of all Asian immigrants, South Asians adhere to more to traditional cultural customs, like marriage. According to a Pew Research Survey, Vietnamese and Indians are less comfortable with marrying outside race.

South Asian communities come together to celebrate festivals and holy days in America as they would in their native countries. For example, Diwali (Festival of Lights) is a Hindu holiday celebrates Rama's defeat of the demon Ravana, or the victory of Light over Darkness, and takes place ever year after the monsoon season. This year, Diwali took place on the 13th of November, where millions all over the world made offerings of food are made to Hindu deities and oil lamps are lit and placed on colorful thalis. In 2011, the Senate formally recognized the historical and spiritual significance of Diwali, promoting religious diversity and tolerance.

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= Sources =

"South Asian Migration Histories." Moving Here Migration Histories. Web. Accessed: 09 November 2012. 

Bhatt, Amy. "Root and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest." YouTube.com. Accessed: 10 November 2012. 

"A Demographic Snapshot of South Asians in the United States." South Asian Americans Leading TOgether and Asian American Federation. February 2012. Web. Accessed: 13 November 2012. 

"South Asian American Demographic." Allied Media Corp. Web. Accessed: 08 November 2012. 

"About the South Asian Community." SAALT.org. Web. Accessed: 18 November 2012. 

Castles, Stephen and Miller, Mark J. "Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region." Migration Information Source. July 2009. Web. Accessed: 18 November 2012. 

http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1965_immigration_and_nationality_act.html http://www.haverford.edu/engl/engl277b/Contexts/south_asian_immigration_to.htm http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/11/10/u-s-election-the-south-asian-factor/ http://www.hafsite.org/Senate_Passes_Diwali_Resolution http://www.diwali2012.in/ http://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/model03.htm http://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/model03.htm

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/06/19/the-rise-of-asian-americans/