Struggles of Indian Community in America

Nearly every third person who lives in Edison New Jersey is originally from India. For Indians immigrants who have come to the US, New Jersey is the place they called home.

They call New Jersey “Little India”. The Indian community in America has increased and established in past few decades. The Indians are now more visible in almost every field in America. According to 2005 census data, over 2.

3 million people of Indian origin call the US home and the number is still increasing. According to the 1990 census, out of 7. million people in New Jersey, the Indian community has 1% share (Weil, 2000).In spite of racial violence in New Jersey, the Indian community is still feeling positive, growing and boosting American economy. The growing Indian community has led to racial violence in New Jersey.

According to the 2000 census, over 170,000 Asian Indians live in New Jersey. The rapid increase of the Indian community is becoming complex. The poor segments of the Indian community who are not fluent in English are facing various problems such as hate crimes and racism.New Jersey is very familiar with all kind of racial violence.

Hudson County is home to over 11000 Indians, who were terrorized by a gang name “The Dotbusters” in late 80s (Weil, 2000). The “dot” was referred to the “bindi”, that is the sign of the Indian married women often wear on the forehead. According to Weil, The gang wrote a letter to a local newspaper regarding their violent action to force Indians to leave New Jersey. The next day on Sept. 27, 1987, the gang beat a man in his home who was picked up randomly from a telephone book (Weil, 2000).

Various such cases were reported in following months which terrorized the Indian community; like a young doctor was badly beaten and the next month a man was beaten to death. According to Lilith Masson, a gynecologist and community activist in Jersey the gang terrorized the Indians to such an extent that parents stopped sending their children to school. She also added that Indian women stopped wearing bindis and saris (Kamen, 1992). After the protests by Masson and other leaders, some youngsters were found guilty of beatings and were arrested.The gang no longer exists but the damage was done.

The Indian community of other suburbs was also facing the same problems. In Middlesex County a gang named “The Lost Boys” was found guilty of beating young Indians with baseball bats and sticks. According to Paul Goldenberg, head of the state attorney general’s office of Bias crime and community relations, the gang crossed all limits when they were reported screaming “dots die” and threatening Indians in a complex apartment where hundreds of Indians live (Kamen, 1992).Today the Indian communities have become more responsible and fighting against racial violence. Many Indians Sikhs faced trouble after September 11 as they wear turban. They were mistaken for terrorists by police and also one Sikh was killed due to this mistake.

According to Amardeep Singh, executive director of the Sikh coalition have realized that it is really important to involve in American politics to stop such discrimination against race (Texeira, 2006). Overall the growth of the Indian community has made a negative impact on certain groups of people who are prejudiced against Indians.Despite racial violence, the Indian community is still feeling positive. The racial violence had “one positive result” on Indian community; they got to know the real world. They accepted that racial violence is a fact in America and it cannot be avoided.

This is not the only reason for their strong determination. Today Indian communities are very well established and have big communities all over America. The average yearly household income of the Indian community is “35% higher than the nation overall” (Texeira, 2006). Also they have made an impact in American politics.The emergence of Indians in politics has helped their community to earn respect and rights against racial discrimination.

When one Indian American man was called “macaca” a type of monkey by a senator of Virginia named George Allen, the U. S. Indian Political Action Committee quickly responded. After a long meeting with committee members, the senator apologized publicly.

According to Sanjay Puri, the founder of U. S. Indian Political Action Committee, if this incident would have happened ten years ago then the “it would have been a lot harder” (Texeira, 2006).This shows the hard work Indians have put in to establish them in America. Today Indians living in America don’t only want to become rich but also want to involve themselves in social activities. Today the Indian communities are visible and finally speaking for themselves.

The Indian community is still growing and maturing in New Jersey. In the Middlesex County telephone book, “there are nearly twice as many people named Patel as there are named Jones” (Kamen, 1992). The Indians are increasing in New Jersey suburbs as more family members from India are settling down with their families in Jersey.The growth of the Indian community in New Jersey was affected because of racial violence. People in New Jersey started to reconsider their decision about staying in the New Jersey suburbs. A few even wanted to go back to India because the Indian economy is thriving.

Only few people would leave as this is the best country to fulfill dream. Discrimination is part of our society and it cannot be controlled or stopped. Today Indian communities have matured and they are still increasing. The Indian community has the boosted American economy.According to Mahesh Desai, an Indian immigrant and U.

S. citizen who owns multiple businesses, Immigrants contribute more to the United States economy than they get out of it. Americans should not have any problem with the Indians living in the states as they contribute a lot in taxes. The average yearly household income of an Indian living in America is above $60,000 which is 35 percent higher than the country’s overall.

According to one special data shown by World Bank, last year Indians living in America sent over $23 billion back to India (Texeira, 2006).This shows how well Indians are doing in America. According to Kamen (1992), “11 percent of the Indian men were physicians and 17 percent were engineers, architects or surveyors” in America. Being high educated and skilled immigrants is very important for a country to improve its economy. That is why Indian immigrants are doing well in America not only for themselves but also for the country. After the bad period the Indian immigrants went through in New Jersey due to racial violence; The Indian immigrants have changed.

According to Ulla Reid, owner of one of the few white-run businesses left in Iselin NJ, his business has suffered high loss after the racial violence. Reid states that Indians lost faith with whites and preferred working with their own people (Kamen, 1992). On the whole the Indian communities have made a positive impact on the American economy despite racial violence. There is no doubt about the achievements of the Indian community in America. Most of them have lived their American dream. Racial violence in New Jersey is still the only hurdle they have not crossed.

The Indian community is still scared of the gangs like “Dotbusters”. The positive side is they are still growing and living their American Dream. The Indian community today is stepping into American politics to protect their people from racial violence. My uncle Mr.

Mahesh Desai is a successful business man in New Jersey living in Middlesex County for the past 30 years. He believes that although racial violence has terrorized the Indian community, only a few want to leave this country as the Indian community is now settled in America (Mahesh Desai, personal communication, September 25, 2009).