27 Issues of Integration in Hostlands: USA and Canada

1  INTRODUCTION

Sociologists have been interested from the 19th century onwards to look at patterns of immigration, process of integration and challenges to their identity formation in the host countries.Integration is a complex process , an understanding of which involves the ways in which the members of the group enter public institutions and organizations of the dominant society. While trying to comprehend integration, there are other processes that should be looked at, which are assimilation, acculturation, pluralism that minority groups or immigrants experience in North America.

Broadly the process of acculturation sets in when a minority group migrates into a new environment. Acculturation has been analyzed by anthropologists (Redfield, Linton, Herkovits, 1936) as referring to the process of cultural, psychological, social changes in the behavior of the groups in contact with another. At times, the groups learn the culture of the dominant group including language and values. Immigrants not always have a choice how to acculturate as their choice is constrained by the acculturation policy of the host countries affecting their diasporic experience of being at ‘home’(Masud 2012: 6). In assimilation, diverse ethnic groups come to share a common culture through the natural process along which they have same access to socio–economic oppurtunities like that of the natives of the host country eventually leading to shedding of the old cultural practices in favour of the new one . Once set in motion the process moves irreversibly and inevitably towards assimilation.Scholars view multiculturalism as a means for eventual assimilation. For any society to function , all the parts of the society need to co –exist making integration a vital process in the hostlands ,on the other hand one way process of integration becomes problematic in terms of respecting minority’s rights, beliefs etc. Thus , multiculturalism becomes a means in to sustain the status- quo as opposed to ensuring a more equitable society.Hence, diverse ethnic groups are expected to ‘melt’ in the mainstream cultural, socio economic life of the host country.

1.1Melting pot vs Salad bowl: Integration policies of the United States and Canada.

Though neighbours sharing a long common border, the immigration policies of Canada and the United States of America have been somewhat different .

It has always been assumed that United States is a ‘melting pot’ in which individuality of each element is erased in order to produce a new entity, where the immigrants lose their ethnic distinctiveness to fit in the ‘American identity’. In the process of becoming Americanized , immigrants face linguistic, cultural, social and ethnic identity challenges and at the same time in certain instances, with time, subtly change or alter the values of the host country. (Chand Masud, 2012 pg; 5-6) .In contrast to the American preference for assimilation, Canada has been committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion, has adopted the multiculturalist policy in 1971 which celebrates the inclusion of all cultures in the society without a dominant culture taking over the other. ( see Masud 2012: 6-8).

This module looks at the integration of the Indian immigrants in U.S.A. and Canada focusing largely on three dimensions 1.Legal status 2. Political participation. 3. Sense of belonging.

2 .    INTEGRATION OF INDIAN IMMIGRANTS IN CANADA

The immigration policy of the Indian diaspora in Canada could be traced back with the implementation of various shifting policies. Canada has been seen as providing the space for diasporas to integrate through its multiculturalist policy . However this is a relatively recent development.Historical studies show that earlier, multiculturalism was not a goal of either Canada’s national or immigration policies.

2.1 Historical background

The historical origins of the arrival of Indians in Canada also referred to as ‘East Indians’, goes back to the group of Sikhs from Punjab stationed in British regiments in Hong Kong who travelled through Vancouver. They brought back stories of rich soil , favorable climate of theBritish Columbia , similar to Punjab and high earnings from lumber yards. ( Lal et al 2006: 328). The‘continuous journey rule’ was imposed on the East Indians by Canada (the Order ofCouncil prohibited the entry of all those who did not come to Canada directly from their country of origin) in 1914, a Sikh leader Gurdit Singh hired a Japanese ship ‘Komagata Maru’ and set out the ‘continous journey’ reaching Canada, where on arrival on 23rd May 1914, the Canadian Immigration refused to allow all but 20 passengers who had resident status, ( Lal 2006:328;

Immigrants from India arriving on ‘Komagata Maru’ , a freighter which reached Vancouver on 23rd may 1914 with 376 Indian passengers. The Canadian Immigration Department refused to allow the passengers to land except 20 passengers who had resident status. (Report of the High Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora : 181-182)

An article posted in the ‘Asian Connection newspaper’ on the 10th of April, 2015 describes how PM of India, Narendra Modi made a visit to Canada and the respect and homage he paid by visiting the Komagatu Maru museum and monument to the inhuman treatment done to hundreds of Sikhs passengers who were not allowed to land on the soil of Canada due to their Asian origin. (http://www.theasianconnectionsnewspaper.com/harper-to-accompany-modi-all-three-days/ )

Canadian immigration policy had long discriminated against non-whites and placed severe restrictions on immigrants from India. The inflow of Asians began with the early 20th century comprising initially of Chinee, Japanese, Indians (Sikhs) but with the Government passing the first ‘Chinese Immigration Act’ in 1885 and increasing head tax of the Chinese from 100$ to 500$ further discouraged the entry of the Chinese and other Asians, one of the possible reasons was the protection of Canadian nationalism developed through the ‘anti- oriental riots’ which broke out in Vancover in Sept;17th, 1907 which mainly was directed towards Japanese and Chinese.The Sikhs and other Asians were also affected.( see Magosci 1999 , Mishra, Prasad, 2003:33-34 and Lal et al 2006: 328).It was when their position in the international community suffered post world war and also when the pressure increased from the newly formed government,that Canada began to change its discriminatory immigration laws.The Canadian federal government lifted the restrictions on Indians allowing them to bring their wives and children; Other restrictions on the East Indians on voting were removed in 1947.(Lal et al 2006: 328).During the late 1950’s and 1960’s a number of highly educated Indians came to Canada, as the immigration selection criteria favoured immigrants in professional and managerial categories rather than farmers and working class immigrants. ( Magoscsi 1999 : 631-632). Accordingto the 2001 census , Indo-Canadians are found largely in Toronto, Vancouver, Edminton, Calgary in Albert. ( Lal et al2006:328)

Khalsa Diwan Society, Early Sikh Canadian Sangh, 1930, Gurudwara, Vancouver. (Report of the High level committee on the Indian Diaspora, 2004: 181).

2.2     Indian diaspora integrating in the economic sector

The new pattern of growth in the economic sector of Canada started with the liberalization of the immigration policy in the 1960’s ( before 1961 , there were around 3360 indo Canadians and the number jumped between 1960-70 further rising in 1990-2000) by the Liberal government of the  then prime minister Pierre Trudeau in response to the economic needs of the country and  removal of the discriminatory laws to bring in entry for Indian immigrants. The ‘ White paper
on Immigration’ in 1966, ‘Green paper on immigration’ in 1975, opening up for categories like  ‘family reunification’ and ‘refugee classes’ as well as the ‘Employment equity Act’ 1986 seeking  to promote equality in workplace avoiding racism are some of the important landmarks. To get a  deeper understanding of the crucial ‘White paper on immigration policy’, 1966, please visit the  following site posted by the Canadianmuseum of integrationhttp://www.pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/white-paper-on-immigration-1966).

Indian migrantshave entered the economy in various industries and occupations and been by and large absorbed in the economic mainstream. Indian immigrants have a larger component of persons with mathematics, engineering and applied sciences background than other groups and their performance is remarkable in Canadian universities , particularly in technical faculties like computer science, engineering, medicines, basic sciences etc. ( Report by the High Level Committee on the Indian diaspora 2004: 185)

Keeping in mind their economic performance, the Canadian government has been making the immigration process easier for qualified Indians.The immigration and citizenship minister of Canada Chris Alexander on the 7th of July, 2014 in the Canada House at New Delhi spoke about bringing in a six month processing economic immigration programme by offering efficient visa regimes for Indian immigrants travelling to Canada called as CAN+programme for Indians to travel as tourist and do business commencing from 2015). (‘The Hindu’ on the 8th of July, 2014). http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/visa-process-for-indians-getting-simplified-says-canada-immigration-minister/article6190134.ece.

2.3  The integration of Religious, Social and Cultural life of the Indian diaspora

Given the varied racial, cultural, religious beliefs and lives of immigrants settled in the host country Canada, has chosen its policy of pluralism to allow the integration of the immigrants and with the belief that they all have something to contribute in the society. ( Lal 2006: 334).Canada has provided the space for indo- Canadians to express their religious, cultural and social lives while negotiating and challenging their identities in the hostlands. In the field of culture, various forms of Indian dancing are popular among the Indo –Canadians including artists like Menaka Thakkar, Rina Singha and others. There have been creative directors as well in the field of films; to name a few Deepa Mehta’s ‘Fire’, ‘Earth’, ‘Water’, ‘Ali Kazimi’s documentary based in Toronto, Mitra Sen and others. ( Lal et al 2006: 322).Indo Canadians have made remarkablecontributions in the field of literature , for example Rohinton Mistry, Rahul Varma, Ashok Mathur and others. ( Ibid :335).The diverse religious traditions of India are represented in Canada and have added to its religious pluralism finding their ‘home’ in Canada’. The presence of gurudwaras, mosques, churches serve as centres of teachings and religious beliefs, bringing to the fore their sense of ethno- religious identity as well as instilling thetraditional teachings in the minds of the second generation Indo –Canadians. by socially and. What is interesting is while the indo- Canadian diaspora integrates with the Canadian mainstream, along with providing them space for expressing their identities through the multiculturalist policy in Canada also gives the m space for expressing their identities, and , the Punjabi grandparentsplay an active role in navigating and negotiating their places in the new Canadian environment, and imparting the same to their grandchildren to keep their religious and ethnic ties strong among the second generation. ( Singh 2013 : 233). Space is also provided to celebrate different Indian festivals like Holi, Ramadan, Guru Nanak’s birthday along with respect given to traditional medicines, dietary customs etc. (Lal et al 2006: 331-332).

There have also been challenges that Indo –Canadians are experiencing in hostlands like resistance to moving upward in their jobs through the ‘glass ceiling ‘ phenomenon.New comers from IITs have voiced their struggle against the same.For the Indo Canadians to enter fully into Canadian society they must learn the country’s other official language i.e., French , history of the nation etc.In short, the immigrants should be able to look beyond their culture and ethnic boundries to attain equal status in the Canada. (Ibid::335). Canada is still a nation of racial hierarchies which is subtle and could be seen in the employment market, racism faced against other visible minorities as well as intersection of race with gender and class at times marginalize women as well restricting them to participate fully in the larger society. ( Ibid: 334).

The Indian diaspora festival, first of its kind , was celebrated in Torontoon the 15th of August , 2014 bringng together the diverse Indian music and dance traditions. You can learn more about it from the following sites:

3.  INTEGRATION OF THE INDIAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

The United States is today home to one of the largest Indian populations in the world. The immigration and settling of the Indians in the United states could be understood in 2 phases namely the pre – 1965 phase and the post -1965 phase which saw various policies and laws concerning the entry of the Indians in the U.S.

3.1History of the US immigration policy .

Tracing back the US immigration policy, the 1924 and 1952 legislations marked a historic turning point in American immigration experiencewhere one could see the policy being selective about whom to allow or restrict based on labor, nationality, race , ethnic group etc which was iniated by the Quota Selective act of 1921 restricting the flow of immigrants only up to 3,50,000 followed by the ‘screening process’ known as the ‘Immigration Policy act of1924, restricting further the flow of immigrants upto 150,000 a year. It was the period of the world wars , world depression , global struggle against communism that made U.S. a place less hostile for immigrants to reside in the U.S. The ‘MC Carran Walter Act’ also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, allotted 100 visas annually to the Asians of U.S. In 1965 , many immigration quotas were eliminated,favoring the entry of the ‘third worldimmigrants’ through the Immigration act of 1965, which mainly preferred the entry of ‘skilled laborers’ into the U.S. ( Sahay 2009: 90-91). The 1960’s brought in the flow of skilled migrants in the areas of IT education especially flourishing in the Silicon Valley, technology, trade and business etc.which was supported by the legal permanent residence or the Green Card issued by the U.S Government including especially family sponsored , employment based immigration , immediate relatives of citizens etc. Indo American population can largely be seen in California followed by New York, New Jersey, Texas and Illinois.

3.2  Favorable policies created for integration

Indians have emerged as the fastest growing Asian Diaspora in the U.S.A. comprising the third largest Asian American population after the Chinese and Filipino Americans respectively. There were a large number of Indians skilled laborers in the field of IT , engineering, science and other academic fields who emigrated to the U.S. after Indian independence in 1947 and the relaxation of the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization act. Today according to the Institute of International Education, students from India account for 13 percent (100,270) of the 764,495 international students studying at U.S. institutions of higher learning during the 2011-12 academic year. India was the second largest origin country of international students in the United States, behind China.The Indian professionals in the field of medicine, engineering and law arrived in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s following the easing of immigration which helped them to establish themselves well before the IT influx took place.

According to the data collected by the immigration and naturalization service the number of American Indians have increased by almost 184% from 1990 to 2000 and again more than doubled to 1.71 million , the greatest jump for any Asian American ethnic community. ( see Lal et al :316-317 , 2006). India was considered as the second largest country of origin among new lawful permanent residents (LPR) where around 7% of the total 991,00 new green card holders in 2013 were from India who gained their LPR via employment pathways rather than family sponsorship or preferences. ( see http://www.migration policy .org/article/indian immigrants-united states.) There were approximately 284,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants in the 2009-2013 period where in 2014 estimates suggest that approximately 11,000 Indian unauthorized immigrant youth had beenapproved under the DACA initiative (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) according to the MPI tabulation of data from the Department of Homeland security, 2013 Handbook of immigration statistics. ( see http://migrationpolicy.org/article/indian immigrants-united states).Home ownership facilities were provided to the Indian immigrants in U.S along with the health insurance coverage, where Indian immigrants were more likely than immigrants overall and the native born to be covered by private health insurance alone or in combination with some form of public coverage providing qualitative and good standard of living paying attention to the health issues of Indian Diaspora in the U.S. (see http://www.migration policy.org/article indian immigrants-united states). Between May and June 1998 and 1999, the U..S. government issued 13,4000 new H-1B visas which are granted for a period of 6 years of highly skilled foreigners seeking employment in the U.S. of these 63,900 were granted to Indians and in 2003 nearly 40,000 Asian Indians were holders of H-1B visas. Though H-1B visas is not an immigrant visa, neither its holders are counted as residents , they eventually acquire permanent residents . Indian students grab 5-10 % of major awards such as the Presidential Scholarship and Intel Science talent search award.The Indian Americans were thus termed as ‘model minorities’, looking at the class and educational achievement of the privileged Indians in the united states. But changes in the immigration laws after 1965 has also bought in immigrants that are substantial working and and lower middle class population as well as relatives who enter with family reunification visas , many of them have created Indian business communities and that own motels. ( Lal et al 2006: 316-317)

3.3    Religious faith and challenges of assimilating in the mainstream United States.

The United states celebrates diverse religious beliefs and practices with its secular legal system but yet challenges are faced by the Indian immigrants while expressing their religious faith. Jews, Muslims Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, and adherents of many other faith traditions all flourish here, making the United States one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world.

One could see a vibrancy in the religious life of the immigrants in America especially among the Indian diaspora groups , with the coming of Hazrat Inayat Khan , a renowned Sufi teacher who made his way to the U.S in 1912and then 3 years later the Sikhs , who comprised the bulk of the Indian immigrant community , had established a Gurudwara in Stockton, California.The ‘Vedanta society’ of New York was established in 1894 and another branch in San Francisco in 1900 , established by Swami Vivekananda .The great majority of Indians who have arrived in the U.S since 1965 are Hindus and it is not suprising that Hinduism’s growth has perhaps been the most spectacular which one could see especially with the coming of Swami Bhaktivedanta establishing the International society of Krishna consciousness [ISKCON]. Today members of ISKCON known commonly as ‘Hare Krishna’ can be found in many metropolitan cities in the U.S along with vegetarian restaurants managed by Hare Krishnas .The following video shows us the iskcon rath yatra procession celebrated in the New York city , 2011 . (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0PG8QAylKQI).

Sections of the US Hindu Diaspora have also been receptive to the ideology of ,Hindutva. HinduStudents Council, the youth division of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has a strong presence and works to bolster the faith in Hindutva ideology . Many second generation Indo Americans have joined these groups in large numbers. The Chicago region is now served by nearly 20 temples like the Shri Swaminarayan mandir in Barlett.Other temples like the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Richmond Hill , New York, Sri Venkatesvara temple in Pittsburg , as also a number of gurudwaras like the one in Palatine and several mosques for eg the one Schaumburg in Chicago have built a powerful Indian religious presence in the US. Temples become the focal point of family engagement, the place of worship and most importantly the preservation of religion and culture of the home country.In certain temples , youth activities include teaching them mother tongue and translations of the scripts. ( see Lal et al 2006 :320-321).

The Malibu temple, San Francisco, built in 1981 is in honor of the Hindu God Venkateswara but contains altars to other Hindu deities as well. A separate space inside the temple is also provided for the recital of Hindu prayers and complex Indian traditional music. ( Report of the high level committee of the Indian diaspora, chapter 13 ‘united states’, pg; 168). Image sourcedfrom http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/malibu-hindu-temple

Although there has been freedom to express one’s religious faith , construct places of worship , display religious symbols, etc, there have also been instances of religious prejudice, stereotyping and religious discrimination in the United states.After September 11, 2001, with the attack on the WTC, many American Muslims have been faced with extreme alienation and even threatened.Sikh turbans have take a new meaning, because non- Sikhs tend to associate Sikh turbans with Osama Bin Laden, target them as associated with the 9/11 attacks. Sikhs have had their identity challenged by calls for immigrant groups to assimilate into American society. In short , there has been a growing discomfort not only with concentrated areas of immigrants , but also with the clothing of immigrants. There have been instances in Detroit, Michigan, a home to a sizeable muslim population, a Muslim woman’s case was dismissed after she refused to remove her veil; a court in Florida upheld a state law requiring an individuals full face to be shown on his or her license photo, thus infringing upon the First amendment right to free exercise of religion. On October 24, 2006, in one of the leading newspapers in the world, The Washington Post, a columnist argued that Muslim women in America should not wear a full-faced veil in public because it is considered rude, in a Western country, to hide one’s face and becomes an unsaid rule for the religious minorities to shed their religious attire rather than continue insulting the host majority ( see http://www.wahingtonpost.com/wp-) .Though there has been religious freedom to express one’s freedom yet certain religious minorities have been victims of religious violence and stigma making it difficult for them to practice faith and assimilate with the mainstream.

The second generation Indian Americans are often faced with the complexity of dual identities while assimilating into the mainstream and pressure from their parents to maintain their ‘Indianness’. Many Indian families decorate or preserve various forms of religious art. This is not only to bridge the human and divine but also to familiarize children with their religion, making them hold on to their ‘identity’ and cope with alienation while assimilating in the mainstream. ‘Home’ to many Indian families is an important site to preserve one’s religious identity and socialize their children as well.

3.4    Political Participation of The Indian Diaspora in the U.S.

The Indian community in the U.S. ,have shown their participationin the nation’s political life by organizing various campaigns and forming organizations. Confirming to certain laws enacted by the Constitution of the United Stateshas made such engagement in effective political participation possible. The political activism of the post immigration reforms has been a new phenomenon.. Prior to 1965, a number of such campaigns were held and organizations formed with a sense of preserving Indian cultural heritage rather than participating in the political process of the U.S . Organizations like the Gujarati association, Telugu association etc were formed due to racial attacks. Dalip Singh Saud , the first Indian origin member of the U.S congress was elected from California in 1956. At the same time, the Indian American community attempted to influence the electoral process through fund raising and creation of groups to support candidates. Indians have also participated in the elections through voting. According to the Asian American legal defense and education fund (2008), 69% of Indian Americans were enrolled in the democratic party and 91% of the Indian Americans said they voted for Barack Obama. Bobby Jindal in 2004 was a candidate for the governor’s post of Louisiana , while in 2012 elections Dr. Amira Bera became the third Indian American elected to the Congress.( see Janardhanan 2006: 25)

3.5  Indian American Literature

The rich writings of the Indian diaspora are a testimony to their effort to integrate with the mainstream. Some of the well known Indian writers in the United States to name a few are Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh , Vikram Seth , Chitra Divakaruni and Jhumpa Lahiri.Many writings by Indian Americans try to capture the dynamics of multiple identities, resistance and negotiation while integrating into the mainstream. ( see Lal et al 2006: 324)

3.6Socio- Cultural Integration Patterns Among Indian Immigrants in the United States

At the socio – cultural level of integration, studies have shown that there have been assimilation of the immigrants into the mainstream but let us look at the multiculturalism and pluralism demonstrated in the everyday life of the ‘Indian Americans’ and how the negotiation of the same takes place.There is a tendency among many Indian Americans to reify Indian culture as something that is always eternal, rooted to timeless traditions and visualized as something ‘good’ as against the ‘American culture’. Often Indian culture is represented in the stereotypically showing Indians as doctors, engineers and computer professionals at times making it difficult for the children to make their own choices. The complaint most frequently encountered among Indian teenagers is that their parents forbid them to date before marriage and label pre marital sex as a taboo, justifying their stand, and castigating such behavior as against ‘Indian culture’. On the cultural front an astounding number of daughters from middle class and professional families are tutored in Indian dance, predominantly in Bharatanatyam rendered as the ‘dance of India’.There are teaching institutes for Bharatanatyam in the United States. Apart from Kathak , popular dances include fishermen’s folk dance from Kerala, the Gujarati Garba, Rajasthani folk dance , Punjabi Bahngra; these are especially performed at the Indian Republic day Parade. Then there are Bollywood numbers , a mix of old and new songs being hip –hop or fusion followed by several humorous skits generally the subject being the identity of Indian American and the conflict between the first and second generation over dating, marriage and lifestyle choices. For Indian American youth , it is easy to see this disaporic musical remix as an attempt to mediate between the expectation of immigrant parents and those of the mainstream American peer culture trying to integrate signs of belonging to both worlds. Indian students have also formed Indian student unions at university campuses to encourage dating betweenIndian boys and girls.There have also been great celebrations of Indian festivals in the form of Diwali melas, Indian independence day festivals, and the state sponsored Festival of india. ( see Lal et al 2006: 322-323). A study of Punjabi Sikh immigrants and their school age children in California finds that Indian Americans acculturate but do not fully assimilate. Many of them having agricultural backgrounds and lower level of education , their visible physical and cultural differences make them vulnerable to prejudice and those who try to assimilate to the ‘white mainstream’, are often critiqued by their ethnic community. The children are able to achieve success in education by rejecting both within and outside mainstream habits and values and rely on the support of ethnic networks.( See Saxena : 2009). What is interesting to know from the study is that many first and second generation Indian Americans are hesitant to break theirtraditional ethnic ties , but they are also structurally integrated into the mainstream. ( Lal et al 2006:322)

The above image could be viewed on the link www.pravasitoday.com. posted on November 16th,2010 in the article ‘a cultural quest too’ by Bhuvaneshwar Iyer about the problems the second generation grapples with in learning and practicing ‘Indian culture’ By simultaneously carrying both Indian and US flags, they are displaying their commitment to hybridity.

3.7     Language politics

There has been linguistic diversity in the democratic secular United States but studies have documented patterns of loss of native languages among the Indian diaspora which prefers the use of English language. English language conformity exists so that the immigrants learn to abandon their language and culture and adopt that of the mainstream, educating themselves in the country’s national language that is English . ( Crawford 2000 : 88). For example the national ‘Spelling bee’ competition is dominated by Indians, and year after year Indians students coming from highly educated families win the championship. English language becomes a native tongue for Indians in comparison to other ethnic groups.It gives them an advantage in integratin with the mainstream. ( Lal et al 2006: 322). Thus new immigrantshave always tried to preserve their cultural heritage taught by their parents but eventually they integrate into the American mainstream and culture producing a hybrid of traditions and values taken from both.

4.  SUMMARY ON INTEGRATION OF THE INDIAN DIASPORAS IN NORTH AMERICA.

It would be very difficult to conclude or take positions when we look at the assimilation process of Indian Americans in North America, at it could be different for different individuals based on class, religion, caste, education and occupational position. The integration process could be seen predominantly based on host country policies to assimilate them into the mainstream through immigration policies, educational policies or through policies favouring their political participation or religious laws of freedom. But is integration an easy process? Inspite of the political and legal policies to integrate Indian immigrants , at times their skin colour, foreign accents or certain modes of clothing create tension during the process of integration. For those who exclusively interact with co-ethnics in ethnic enclaves , assimilation is less apparent. There is a greater likelihood of segmented assimilation into a subset of the mainstream- one that is defined by one ’s traditional life style and values and largely reactionary to marginalization by the core culture. Lastly, there are those who subsume certain values of the mainstream culture and use the strength of ethnic network to realize these goals without compromising the traditional Indian culture. They selectively acculturate and add to a localized ethnic plurality. ( see Saxena2009 : 39-43). As for the second generation , the youth negotiates the politics of ethnicity, race and gender and recreate cultural beliefs and practices in their daily lives. Second generation Indian Americans negotiate their identities by socializing into a particular local culture of second generation Indians. United states has bought in space for expressing one’s identity with the hope of assimilating minorities in the mainstream eventually.