Culture Care ConneCtion - Stratis Health

StratiS HealtH Culture Care Quality ConneCtion update
Culture Care Focus: Asian Indians in Minnesota
The Asian Indian population in the
U.S. grew from nearly 1,679,000 in
2000 to 2,570,000 in 2007, a growth
rate of 53 percent—the highest
growth rate for any Asian American
community in the country. The U.S.
has the second largest population of
Asian Indians outside of India in the
world (2,765,000), second to Nepal.
In 2006, the Asian Indian population
in Minnesota was more than 30,000.
Second only to Hmong, Asian
Indians are the second largest Asian
community in Minnesota.
Immigration of
Asian Indians
to America has
taken place in
several waves, in
the 1700s, the
early 1900s, and
the 1950s (mainly
students and
professionals). The elimination of
immigration quotas in 1965 prompted
successively larger waves of Indian
immigrants in the 1970s and 1980s,
and with the technology boom of
the 1990s, the largest influx of Asian
Indians arrived between 1995 and
2000. This population is among the
fastest growing ethnic groups in the
U.S. and is the third largest Asian
American ethnic group, following
Chinese and Filipino Americans.
California, New York, New Jersey,
Texas, and Illinois have the largest
Asian Indian populations in
the country.
Although the U.S. Census has used
the term Asian Indian for immigrants
who came to America from India, the
terms East Indian and South Asian
are also commonly used terms for this
population. Asian Indians also have
emigrated from Indian communities
2
2
in the United Kingdom, Canada, and
other Southeast Asian nations.
English is the official language of India
and is spoken by most professionals
and educated immigrants in the U.S.
They may also speak one or more of 20
languages with more than 200 dialects.
Language often identifies their place of
origin. Common languages spoken by
Indians include Hindi, Bengali, Tamil,
Marthi, Punjabi, and Urdu.
Indians in Minnesota represent diverse
cultures, traditions, customs, and
languages. In
India, nearly 83
percent of Indians
are Hindus.
Indians are also
Muslim, Sikh,
Jain, Buddhist,
Parsis, Christian,
Jewish, and
Zoroastrian.
Hindus worship many gods and
goddesses in a temple or at home and
read from the holy scriptures (Vedas).
Although legally abolished for many
years, the caste system still influences
social relations in India. The caste
system is a hierarchy of four social
classes: Brahmins (priest class),
Kshatriyas (warrior class), Vaishyas
(merchant class), and Sudras (laborer
class). Individuals inherit their class
from parents and
believe that birth
in a particular
caste is predetermined
by karma
from previous
lives.
This population
assimilates well
into American
culture, while at the same time,
keeping the culture of their ancestors.
They may assimilate more easily than
other immigrant groups because
they have fewer language barriers:
English is widely spoken in India
among professional classes, Indians are
disproportionately well-educated, and
they come from a democratic society.
Indian culture, like many other Asian
cultures, emphasizes achievement
as a reflection upon the family and
community. Younger persons often
use titles to show respect, especially
when greeting parents, older relatives,
teachers, religious leaders, and persons
of higher status
Indians and other Asians, have the
highest educational qualifications of
all ethnic groups in the US. Nearly
67 percent of the population have a
bachelor’s or higher degree (compared
to 28 percent nationally). Nearly 40
percent have a master’s, doctorate, or
other professional degree—five times
the national average. A Duke University/University
of California Berkeley
study revealed that Indian immigrants
have founded more engineering and
technology companies in the past 15
years than immigrants from the United
Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and Japan
combined. One-third of the engineers
in Silicon Valley are of Indian descent,
with 7 percent of hi-tech firms led by
Indian CEOs.
Although a diverse
community, the
Indian community
in Minnesota is
well established
and represented
by a variety of
organizations
that support
and promote its
members. SEWA-
AIFW was created in 2004 to serve
and promote total family wellness for