Struggles of Asian Indians and their major contrib Essay Example For Students

Struggles of Asian Indians and their major contrib Essay utionsTheir struggle as immigrant minority and major contributions to the American societyAsian Indians come from an area with the second largest population in the world, but form only one of the smallest minorities in the United States. America was influenced by their religious and political beliefs long before the first immigrants arrived in the 19th century. The congressional act of 1947 granted them citizenship. Now, Asian Indians hold many important occupations (students, teachers, writers, musicians, scientists). Their most important contributions are geared toward engineering and the sciences. India was in a great shape up until the end of 19th century. When British arrived, the country was depleted of its wealth and resources. The poor had no choice but to come to the United States (The Land of the Free and the Land of Opportunity). The United States, due to the abundance of jobs and scarcity of labor, became a â€Å"Mecca† for immigrants from all over the world. The U nited States, in the nineteenth century, remained a strong magnet to immigrants, with offers of jobs and land for farms.Asians and Italians came for work, Russians came to escape persecution, and Jews came for religious freedom. Immigrants from all over the world including Europe, China, and Japan wanted to experience the freedom of improving your life and being able to take care for one’s family. East Indians represented a big group that wanted to take part in American culture. The large majorities from India were Punjabis, from a region called the Punjab. Most of these immigrants were young men, between 16 and 35 years old.They left their families in India, and came here in small groups of cousins and village neighbors. Thus, the family and community ties remained very strong. They had several reasons to come to America. They were repressed by the British rule and had no land to farm on. To make matters worse, famine devastated India from 1899 to 1902. Thus, large-scale imm igration began in 1906, when six hundred Asians applied to enter the United States.They came here in hopes of changing their lives around. Unfortunately, they soon found out that life in America was very challenging. Many Indians were farmers back in India, but when they came to the United States they had to take jobs no one else would.They also encountered prejudice. Whites sometimes associated the Asian Indian immigrants with blacks, Chinese, or Japanese.Very often, Asian Indians were blamed for the violence directed towards them. Whites did not want or try to understand Indian culture and traditions. The Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore (a winner of the Noble Prize in literature) traveled to North America. When he applied for entry to the United States, Tagore encountered difficulties and when he finally made it to the country, he experienced racial prejudice in Los Angeles. He cancelled his tour and returned to India, saying in disgust, â€Å"Jesus could not get into America be cause, first of all, he would not have the necessary money, and secondly, He would be an Asiatic.†Despite of everything they encountered, the immigrants still believed that the life they left behind was much worse than thy life they faced in America. Another major problem Asian Indians faced came from the white population. Many people felt threatened by the increasing multi-cultural population. Many Indians had limited opportunities to advance their careers due to prejudice. Frustrated because of their current situation, they opened their own businesses, which gave them a lot more freedom and control of their own lives. Furthermore, whites taunted the Indians because of the color of their skin and wearing of traditional turbans. They were called by insulting names such as â€Å"rag-heads† and treated as inferior beings.A California Sikh who came from India at that time said, â€Å"I used to go to Maryville every Saturday. One day a drunken white man came out of a bar a nd motioned to me saying, ‘Come here, slave!’ I said I was no slave man. He told me that his race ruled India and America, too.† Assimilation has always been an important part of American life. Furthermore, American immigrants found out that assimilation is not a one step process. They were forced to complete several steps on their way to being American. It was especially difficult for Indians because of their appearance (skin color, clothing, and distinctive speech). The Rate Reaction Between Sodium Thiosulphate And Hydrochloric AcidAsian Indians contribute to our society in a variety of ways, ranging from deciphering our genetic code to observing the stars. Many Asian Indians work in the medical field improving the technology and prolonging our lives. Other Americans of East Indian descent have made important contributions in the field of education. Such as Santha Rama Rau; in the field of American literature and Dr. Chakravakti; professor of oriental religions and literature at Smith College in Massachusetts.Many came to this country with hopes of some day returning to their homeland. Fortunately, once they saw the opportunity for a better life America offered, they decided to stay. Asian Indians were significantly changed by this experience; especially the second generation (children). In a positive way, they also have been changing America. Because of them, America became richer and more multicultural. When they left their homes in India, t hey faced years of hardships and prejudice. Fortunately, this bold move was not without benefits for both Indians and Americans. Bibliography:Blanton, Kimberly. â€Å" The land of high-tech opportunity; To immigrants from the far reaches of the globe, Boston is becoming a Mecca,† The Boston Globe. Globe Newspaper Company, Sunday City ed., December 20, 1998. G1. Daniels, Roger. â€Å"Asian Americans: Emerging Minorities,† New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1988. 33. Dayes, Walter. â€Å"U.S. Immigration Commission,† The Asian American Encyclopedia. 1995 ed. 22,76. Hess, Gary. â€Å"The Forgotten Asian Americans: The East Indian Community in the United States,† Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981. 12. Hundley, Norris. The Asian American, California: American Bibliographical Center, 1987. 38,39,45. James, Sandra. â€Å"Motels are good place to start in America,† The Hartford Courant. The Hartford Courant Company, October 11, 1992, A ed. B1. Koritala, Srirajasekhar. A Historical Perspective of Americans of Asian Indian Origin. 1997. 3. Millis, Harry. East Indians of the West Coast. Makers of America-The New Immigrants 1904-1913. 1981 ed. 32,38. Pavri, Tinaz. â€Å"Asian American Indians.† Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. 1995 ed. 102,106.