- Home
- About SAALT
- About the South Asian Community
About the South Asian Community
As of 2008 census data, approximately 2.7 million
South Asians live in the United States. The South Asian community in the United States comprises of individuals with ancestry from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The community also includes members of the South Asian diaspora – past generations of South Asians who originally settled in many areas around the world, including the Caribbean (Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago), Africa (Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda), Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands (Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore).
The community is far from homogeneous; South Asians are not only diverse in terms of national origin, but also by virtue of possessing a variety of ethnic, religious, and linguistic characteristics. The community is comprised of individuals who practice distinct religions and speak different languages, yet share similar immigration histories. For example, South Asians practice Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. The most common languages other than English spoken by South Asians in the United States include Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu.
South Asians are also diverse in terms immigration and socioeconomic status. The majority of South Asians who live in the United States are foreign-born, with over 75% of the population born outside of the United States. South Asians possess a range of immigration statuses including undocumented immigrants; student and worker visa holders and their dependents; legal permanent residents; and naturalized citizens. With respect to employment, many South Asians have careers in the technology and medical fields; many within the community are also employed in lower-wage jobs as cashiers, taxi workers, and restaurant workers.
Below are some quick facts about South Asian communities in the United States. For more detailed demographic information about South Asians in the US including statistics about poverty, immigration, and limited English proficiency click here.
Quick Facts About South Asians in the US
The community is far from homogeneous; South Asians are not only diverse in terms of national origin, but also by virtue of possessing a variety of ethnic, religious, and linguistic characteristics. The community is comprised of individuals who practice distinct religions and speak different languages, yet share similar immigration histories. For example, South Asians practice Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. The most common languages other than English spoken by South Asians in the United States include Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu.
South Asians are also diverse in terms immigration and socioeconomic status. The majority of South Asians who live in the United States are foreign-born, with over 75% of the population born outside of the United States. South Asians possess a range of immigration statuses including undocumented immigrants; student and worker visa holders and their dependents; legal permanent residents; and naturalized citizens. With respect to employment, many South Asians have careers in the technology and medical fields; many within the community are also employed in lower-wage jobs as cashiers, taxi workers, and restaurant workers.
Below are some quick facts about South Asian communities in the United States. For more detailed demographic information about South Asians in the US including statistics about poverty, immigration, and limited English proficiency click here.
Quick Facts About South Asians in the US
- There are approximately 2.7 million South Asians in the US.
- South Asians comprise the fastest growing Asian American ethnic group in the US between 1990 and 2000.
- The four largest South Asian groups in America are the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan communities.
- South Asians live primarily in metropolitan areas on the East and West coasts. The metropolitan areas with the largest South Asian population are: New York/New Jersey, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Los Angeles and the Washington DC Metro Area.
- In New York City, the Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi communities are among the six largest Asian American groups.
- South Asians were also the fastest growing Asian group in California in 2000.
- There are sizable emerging populations in various parts of the United States, including Houston, Atlanta, and Seattle. The map below illustrates South Asian communities across the country by population density.
- Over three-quarters of the South Asian population is foreign-born
- 30% of South Asians are naturalized
- 45% of South Asians are not naturalized
- Indians were the fastest growing undocumented community in the United States between 2000 and 2006
- According to the 2000 US Census, 1/3 of South Asians living between 50%-125% of the poverty line are children. Nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshi seniors live below 200% of the poverty line
- Limited English Proficient (LEP) denotes individuals whose ability to read, write, speak or understand English is rated less than “very well”. Nearly half of Bangladeshis, a third of Pakistanis and a quarter of Indians are LEP.
