Indian History

Immigration and Integration

The first Indians in this country arrived as indentured servants with the East India Company, to the British American colonies in the early 17th century.

The next wave arrived in 1790 after American independence, working as maritime workers. These were small groups, however. The first large-scale wave of labor immigration from India began early in the 20th century. Because there was not yet regular steamship transportation between India and North America, Canadian ports in British Columbia were usually the first stop; they then headed south to work as railroad laborers, farmers or in lumber mills. They worked in California, Oregon, and Washington. Most were Sikhs from Punjab (northwestern India and Eastern Pakistan, today). At this point there were miscegenation laws in most states, barring intermarriage between races.

In 1893, the first Hindu institution in North America was established by Swami Vivekananda in New York. In 1912, the first Sikh temple was established in Stockton, California. One year later, the first Indian-American, A.K. Mozumdar, earned US citizenship by claiming himself “Caucasian”. Four years later, in the heat of WWI, Congress passed the Asiatic Barred Zone Act, which denied Asians (including Indians) immigration to the United States.

Immigration records from 1901-1910 show nearly 5,800 Indian immigrants, almost entirely male. By the end of the decade, selective use was being made of immigration regulations to keep out Indian immigrants.

In 1918, anti-miscegenation laws led to controversy over the marriage of Indian American farmer Bhagat Singh Thind to the sixteen year old daughter of his white employer. Thind applied for citizenship in 1920 through the U.S. District Court, and was approved. The Bureau of Nationalization appealed the case, and the Supreme Court ruled that, though he was “white”, he was not “Caucasian”, and indeed, no Indian was eligible for citizenship.

Singh was also the first Indian-American to serve in the US Army. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant. Though the decision above, in 1923, ruled that all Indians were ineligible for citizenship, he would become a citizen a few years later in New York.

Clara Booth Luce (R) and Emanuel Celler (D) introduced a bill in 1943 to open immigration to Indians; it had the support of such scientists as Albert Einstein and Robert Milikan, as well as Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1946 the Luce-Celler Act was signed into law by President Harry Truman.

1965 was a turning point for many immigrant groups. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, doing away with per-country caps on immigration and instead basing immigration policy on professional experience and education.

Since the 1960s, Indian immigrants have shown to choose to live in Queens more than any other borough. They have shared their neighborhoods with Asians, Caribbeans, and Latin Americans for over 40 years, which has resulted in intensely multiethnic and multicultural hubs. Indian-Americans are dispersed widely over Queens and there are several places known as “Little India” because of the clusters of businesses. In the 1960s and 70s, most Indian immigrants settled in Flushing, Elmhurst, and Corona. In the 1980s, there was a growing presence in Astoria, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, and Fresh Meadows. Since 1990, there is more evidence of them settling in Richmond Hill and eastern Queens. Other top neighborhoods for immigrants include Woodside and Regis Park.

The 1970’s saw Indian immigration exceed 10,000 a year for the first time. This jumped rapidly to 25,000 in the ‘80s and 30,000 in the ‘90s. The 1990 census in particular revealed a well-adapted population. Only a quarter did not claim to speak English “very well” and less than 4% completed less than a 5th grade education, while nearly 60% had bachelor’s degrees (significantly higher than the percentage for native-born Americans).

Flushing and Elmhurst became receiving areas due to ample accommodations in apartment buildings and the access to Manhattan by subway, preferred to what is known as “two-fare” areas where they would have to take a bus to the subway. They also liked the access to JFK airport and La Guardia. The 1970s saw an increase in ethnic businesses, houses of worship, and cultural events. In the 1980s there was a movement of major Indian establishments to Queens and the group of businesses that remain today is known as Little India on 28th and 29th streets, also known as Murray Hill or "Curry Hill".

The first organization for Indian Women was formed in 1980, called Asian Indian Women in America