Open Access15: South Asian Immigrants: Trends and Impacts on the Sending and Receiving Societies
Author(s) -
Minocha Urmil
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
center for migration studies special issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2050-411X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2050-411x.1987.tb00967.x
Subject(s) - immigration , citation , library science , political science , history , media studies , sociology , computer science , law
A new but seemingly permanent South Asian community is emerging in the United States. The South Asian region encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. According to the 1980 U.S. census, there were 387,223 Indians, 15,792 Pakistanis, 2,923 Sri Lankans, and 1,314 Bangladeshis living in the United States in 1980. However, this new and rapidly growing South Asian community has so far remained essentially uninvestigated. Drawing on the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) data on immigration and secondary data from the few existing surveys, this chapter traces the historical pattern of South Asian immigration to the United States and examines the demographic and economic profile of South Asian immigrants. It also considers some of the major factors bearing on the immigration of South Asians to the United States. Finally, it assesses the impact of the large-scale exodus of highly skilled South Asians on the socioeconomic structure of major sending countries.