Overview
Barely 40 years after their major immigration to the United States began, Indian Americans have established thriving communities in major metropolitan areas all across America. Indian Americans have made a name for themselves in practically every field of endeavor, from spelling bee champions and Nobel Prize winners to talented computer software engineers and accomplished physicians. This book traces the history from the early days of the Punjabi pioneers in California to the triumphs of the dot.com generation. Combining human interest and critical analysis, as well as historical data and current information, the story of this remarkable group of immigrants is one of both success and struggle.About the Author:
Padma Rangaswamy is cofounder and director of the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute (SAAPRI) in Chicago, Illinois
Synopsis
Barely 40 years after their major immigration to the United States began, Indian Americans have established thriving communities in major metropolitan areas all across America. Indian Americans have made a name for themselves in practically every field of endeavor, from spelling bee champions and Nobel Prize winners to talented computer software engineers and accomplished physicians. This book traces the history from the early days of the Punjabi pioneers in California to the triumphs of the dot.com generation. Combining human interest and critical analysis, as well as historical data and current information, the story of this remarkable group of immigrants is one of both success and struggle.
About the Author:
Padma Rangaswamy is cofounder and director of the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute (SAAPRI) in Chicago, Illinois
VOYA
This series relates the experience of immigrant groups to the United States since the 1965 change in immigration laws. A brief history of the home country is followed by an explanation of how and why the first group immigrated to this country. The obvious challenge of language differences is discussed along with less-evident hardships, including difficulty in finding jobs and/or housing as well as facing prejudice and stereotyping. Each book devotes a chapter to successful people from that immigrant group, and every chapter ends with study questions. A time line, glossary, and list of books and Web sites for further reading are featured at the end of each book. Indian Americans notes that early Indian immigrants made their way to the U.S. quite easily. Indian Americans points out that in the 1970s, the U.S. encouraged skilled professionals such as doctors, scientists, and engineers to emigrate under the "occupational" category. Many young Americans were involved in the Vietnam War, resulting in personnel shortages in these professions just as the space race was underway and Medicaid and Medicare programs were expanding. The Indian American population swelled and became a more varied group in later decades when more immigrants were admitted under the "relative" category. Titles in this series, which includes books on Vietnamese Americans, Ukrainian Americans, Jamaican Americans, Mexican Americans, Filipino Americans, and Korean Americans, ably convey the challenges and achievements of each group. The reader will come away with fresh insight into the struggles each group faced and new respect for their successes.
Editorials
VOYA -
This series relates the experience of immigrant groups to the United States since the 1965 change in immigration laws. A brief history of the home country is followed by an explanation of how and why the first group immigrated to this country. The obvious challenge of language differences is discussed along with less-evident hardships, including difficulty in finding jobs and/or housing as well as facing prejudice and stereotyping. Each book devotes a chapter to successful people from that immigrant group, and every chapter ends with study questions. A time line, glossary, and list of books and Web sites for further reading are featured at the end of each book. Indian Americans notes that early Indian immigrants made their way to the U.S. quite easily. Indian Americans points out that in the 1970s, the U.S. encouraged skilled professionals such as doctors, scientists, and engineers to emigrate under the "occupational" category. Many young Americans were involved in the Vietnam War, resulting in personnel shortages in these professions just as the space race was underway and Medicaid and Medicare programs were expanding. The Indian American population swelled and became a more varied group in later decades when more immigrants were admitted under the "relative" category. Titles in this series, which includes books on Vietnamese Americans, Ukrainian Americans, Jamaican Americans, Mexican Americans, Filipino Americans, and Korean Americans, ably convey the challenges and achievements of each group. The reader will come away with fresh insight into the struggles each group faced and new respect for their successes.Children's Literature -
This is probably the most comprehensive upper elementary and middle school presentation you will find today of the Indian American community in the United States, an emerging community that now numbers over two million. Rangaswamy writes with the authority of someone familiar with the subject from the inside, which makes for a far more intimate portrait than the superficial overviews we're used to seeing from educational publishers. She covers the obligatory food and festivals, naturally. But she also introduces readers to the little-known early mixed-race history of migrant workers from Punjab who married Mexican women and raised families in California. Further, the history of immigration from the Indian subcontinent to North America is clearly contextualized, relative to India's emergence from colonial rule and growth into its subsequent role as a major democratic nation in today's world. Social customs that might easily be depicted as exotic are balanced by analyses of achievements, and of challenges that range from racism to elder care. Extensive back matter includes a chronology and visual time-line, chapter notes, glossary, and index. With a series introduction by a history professor from the University of Illinois in Chicago, this volume is part of the publisher's series titled "The New Immigrants." Other titles include Filipino Americans, Jamaican Americans, and Vietnamese Americans.School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up
This book, part of a series focusing on immigrant communities benefiting from the 1965 liberalization of U.S. immigration laws, describes the history of Indian migration to the United States. There are also occasional mentions of Indian Canadians and Canadian immigration policy. Study questions are included at the end of each chapter. The book also includes black-and-white and color photos; tables and charts; and a map of India. Spotlights scattered throughout the text focus on specific Indian Americans or topics such as tracing roots. The various laws and bills passed throughout the years hindering immigration from India are described in a level of detail that may confuse some readers, but the book's biggest drawback is that it has no pronunciation guides. Still, this is a useful addition for collections on immigration, Indian Americans, or American history.
—S K JoinerCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.