Asian Indians in Washington, Essay Example

Introduction

Immigration is and will always be a common constant when it comes to measuring the growth of human population in the United States. Relatively, such condition of development in population growth could be accounted for as an effect of the worldwide campaign for globalization and development. People from all around the world gain the idea that the United States could offer them the life that they have long been searching for. One of the most common destinations of immigrants in the US is that of Washington. Home to 6,658,052 people, it holds at least 47% belonging to the different races coming from outside US. Considerably, in relation to the study being presented herein. 54,487 of these individuals belong to the Asian Indian race.

History of Population Growth

Relatively, from the point of change in history that happened in 1965, immigrants started coming in the United States. Among those immigrants where Asian Indians. To regulate the situation and prevented high influx of population that may not be able to be supported by the government anymore, the McCarran Walter Act was imposed as a sense of distinction on who ought to be accepted as immigrants to the nation and who should be given less preference. This law allowed for skilled workers and laborers to enter into the country’s territories. Nevertheless, instead of containing the situation, it was observed that with at least only a thousand of immigrants that came in the country during the 1960’s, the increase of Asian Indians’ population rose up to 300,000 in the 1990’s. At present, Asian Indians are dispersed into the different regions of the United States. In Washington, the concentration of the said immigrants resides at Arlington and Alexandria respectively.

The Reason for Population Influx

True to its sense, the rise of the population of Asian Indians in the United States responded to the country’s need for a huge number of laborers during the 1960s. In an aim of creating a more responsive system of development in the country, Asian Indian immigrants were able to help in establishing the backbone for such desire. Nevertheless, as the years pass, the need for skilled laborers specifically coming from the said race gradually slowed down. The need to redistribute the already working individuals in the labor industries became a necessity to avoid increase of poverty level among the immigrants.

In later years (1990-onwards) emigration became more a prestigious condition of living and decision for Asian Indians. Coming from the European region, modern Asian Indians who emigrate to US are noted for their profession, their education and their capacities of increasing their financial status in life. What made them transfer from their own nation to another? Likely, according to survey and several years of research, it is the desire to earn more. India may have a huge thriving metropolis that offers many jobs especially to professionals wanting to take position in the higher grounds of business operation. Nevertheless, even though they do enjoy the title or the position that they are given, they feel that they are paid less than the effort that they are putting forth and less than the qualification that they have as individual workers.

Seeing that American jobs, although at times may be delineating in relation to their professional status recognized in India, provide higher rate of payment for a lower grade of job input, it has become a common desire for Asian Indians to get out of their country and into the American territories. Willing enough to take almost about any job possible, it was not hard to place the Asian Indians in several positions open for laborers in the US. Through time, their capacities and capabilities as good professionals began to flourish making it possible for their population in Washington to take at least 18% of the management positions in Washington which seemingly reflects 68.3% of the working population of Asian Indians in the said state.

Remaining in the Roots of their Ethnic Background

Although they are noted to be living in a foreign land, it could be understood that like other nationalities, Asian Indians have inkling in keeping their cultures in tact through starting with their family bonds. Although they have at least 2.93% average family size [which usually involves 3 to 4 members of the family present in the United States], Asian Indian families are noted to have close family ties. Starting off with how they are taught about religious beliefs following the principles of Hinduism at an early age, these families are also noted for preserving traditions such as going home early for supper and eating together as a family. Most of the Asian Indians in America do such practices because of customary reasons.

Along with this, customary gender-role definitions remain the ground of most of their familial relationships specifically placing the women in charge of the house and the men in charge of the family’s financial needs. Although it is usually hard to keep up with such custom, Asian Indians remain rooted into such a system that even their children are able to get hold of such tradition therefore living their lives according to such conditions of gender stereotyping.

Asian Indians in Washington

Based from the data gathered from the American Community Survey, Washington holds at least 54,487 Asian Indian individuals within its territories. Approximately fifty percent of which were specifically born in the United States and are considered natives. Given such data insists on the fact that at least half of the Asian Indians’ population has already been born in the United States after their parents have immigrated in the country. This means that even though they are still considered as Asian Indians, they are already accepted as bonafide members of the American society as full-pledged Americans.

As mentioned in line with the history of Asian Indians coming in the country and the background they carry in relation to their capacity to learn and work as desired by the administrators of US business institutions, these individuals are ready to take on the challenge of working at the best possible cost. Being educated and professionals, immigrants who came directly from India to the United States are able to secure good jobs that are able to assist them in establishing families and even buying their own homes in a foreign country. Among the top choices of occupations to which Asian Indians are usually related with is that of the management and business sector. Coming in as second interest for the said group of workers is that of the sales and office occupations. Only 0.8% of their overall population in Washington are dedicated to completing labor works such as construction and maintenance operations. Taking an understanding from such report imposes that Asian Indians, although they may have been marked in the past as skilled laborers, have specifically undergone particular development especially in the aspect of gaining education to fit on higher positions of work in particular institutions in the country [in this case, in Washington].

The median household income amounting to $98,192 is a basic presentation on how these group of individuals are able to get the best of what the American administration could provide especially when it comes to securing jobs that would sustain their families in the country. Noted as hard workers, they are often given particular positions that are not entrusted to just anyone in the industry. Their attitude and behavior toward their assigned duties may have a great impact on why and how they are able to get the best benefits from being able to work within a position they may or may not actually consider as acceptable.

To establish their lives in America, some 50.6% of the overall population of Asian Indians in Washington were able to secure their own homes. Having an average value of home mortgage amounting to $438,400, only at least 43% of those who have actually accomplished a policy for housing ownership are able to finish paying their dues in later years. Relatively though, such rate of individuals being able to secure their own homes in Washington could still be considered high in comparison with the 64% of the overall population who own homes in Washington.

When it comes to immersing themselves into the American culture through language acquisition, it could be considered that Asian Indians are still having a hard time coping up with the challenge. The truth is that 24.3% of their population are still not able to speak English fluently. This is has a higher value compared to the 17.2% of individuals who are able to speak English in a good manner with good overall command of the language in both casual and professional conversations. This is the reason why many among those who chose to immigrate in the United States as Asian Indians make it a point that they are already able to finish their school in India before even going to the US. This will make it easier for them to survive the society’s challenge as they need not go through the tedious task of learning in school through the use of the English language. Those who were born in the US though are noted to have a strong command of English as if treating it as their native language. Problems on the matter however rise when it comes to the parents’ insisting on their children to not forget their original language which they casually use at home.

Conclusion

Around the globe, immigration has become a common factor that defines the capacity of a nation to host the growing trend of globalization. Overall, among Asian Indians, the choice of going to the United Stated is one specific decision that is based upon the desire to live better lives through earning better from the jobs that they perform. In the coming years, it is expected that Asian Indians would be more prepared in entering the American territories. Nevertheless, it is always a constant desire of the American people to at least regulate the situation therefore not jeopardizing their own capacity of surviving in their own country.

References

Immigration History. Asian-Indian Immigrants and Their Children in America. http://people.bu.edu/prothero/ia_immigrants.htm. (Retrieved on July 29, 2013).

MAP (A) Asian Indian Population in US(2005). http://www.littleindia.com/data-file/1389-asian-indian-population-2005.html. Retrieved on July 29, 2013.

MAP (B) Asian Immigrant Integration. http://blog.metrotrends.org/2011/11/nonprofits-asian-immigrant-integration/. Retrieved on July 29, 2013.

Profile of General Demographic Characteristics. Washington. http://www.capaa.wa.gov/documents/ProfileofGeneralDemographicCharacteristics2010.pdf. Retrieved on July 29, 2013.

Census shows growth among Asian Indians. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2011-05-12-asian-indian-population-Census_n.htm. USA Today. Retrieved on July 29, 2013..