Compared to traditional stereotypes of immigrant groups in Michigan, the Asian Indian population has unique characteristics. Like many of their counterparts who arrived as a result of the Immigration Act of 1965,¹ they are not tired, nor poor, nor yearning to breathe free. They originate from a democratic country, are well educated, and come primarily from middle- and upper-class families of urban orientations. They are also a community making significant contributions to Michigan, the United States, and their homeland.

Although their prominence in Michigan started in 1970, their settlement in Michigan reaches back to 1924. Members of the community are...

India, the country of origin for Asian Indians in the United States and Michigan, is a land of variety. The region includes sixteen language groups (with hundreds of dialects), four religious communities, and three racial categories.² In fact, the diversity of the country is greater than that of Europe. Although people from the Punjab region of India were the first people of Indian origin to enter and settle in Michigan and the United States, Asian Indians in Michigan now come primarily from Gujarat (30 percent), followed by Punjab (15 percent), Kerala (10 percent), and Bengal (10 percent). However, coastal states...

Although there have been a few Asian Indians in North America since colonial times, the significant influx of these immigrants began at the turn of the century with Sikhs who claimed Punjab as their homeland and entered the continent through Vancouver, Canada. They learned about the city from soldiers who had paraded for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1887. Many of the soldiers who were serving in the British armed forces in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia passed through Vancouver on their way to and returning from the Jubilee.⁹ Their brief stay in Canada while in transit was pleasant,...

Contrary to popular opinion, the ramifications of the Civil Rights Movement were not limited to freedom, equality, and rights for African Americans. In fact, this movement pricked the conscience of the nation so deeply that other institutions were looked into as well. U.S. immigration laws and practices were found to be racist and to promote inequality, a situation that was remedied by the Immigration Act of 1965.

The effects of the 1965 immigration laws were visible by 1970, as students and highly educated people in the professions dominated the Asian Indian influx that was termed the new immigration.³² Because of...

Life for Asian Indians in Michigan in particular and in the Midwest in general differs from that of Asian Indians residing on the East or West Coasts. Even within Michigan, there is a difference between life in Detroit and in a smaller city like Kalamazoo. To further complicate the matter, the patterns of living of the old immigrants differ from those of the new immigrants. To understand Asian Indian behavior in Michigan, I will examine some behavioral patterns and institutions of Asian Indians in Michigan. An in-depth analysis will help the reader to better comprehend Asian Indian behavior.

The new...

The primary reference group of evaluation for the Asian Indian immigrants is their home community. They want their families to be well thought of and family honor to be enhanced by their accomplishments. The speed of current communications technology enables the immigrants’ actions to be evaluated as easily as if they were still living in the village in India.

Current efficient communications and travel have rendered physical topography and distance less of a boundary than in times past. As a result, in the study of population movements some of our theories, assumptions, and policies may need to be rethought. Arjin...

The accomplishments and contributions of the Asian Indians in Michigan are numerous. Rajuta Bhatt is but one example. In 1993, as a student at Michigan State University, she was the sixth student and the fifth woman at MSU to receive a Rhodes Scholarship.⁵⁰ Another is Madhu Anderson, who is the deputy treasurer of the State of Michigan and can take credit for saving taxpayers about $70 million.⁵¹ In fact, one need only read the newspapers in cities like Kalamazoo, where there is a sizable Asian Indian community, to see that the members of this community are consistently represented among those...

The Asian Indian community in Michigan was started by a small group of Punjabis in 1924.⁵² The major influx, however, came after U.S. immigration laws were revised in 1965. With those changes, Michigan, like the rest of the United States, became the recipient of a cadre of highly motivated, technically skilled, well-educated, and professionally oriented people. These new immigrants knew the English language and were knowledgeable about and functioned well in both the urban and rural settings of Michigan. Their contributions to both India and Michigan have been tremendous....