Sindhi Americans
Total population | |
---|---|
6,907 (2010 US Census)[1] Other estimates: 50,000[2] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
New York · New Jersey · California · Texas · Illinois · Georgia · other states | |
Languages | |
Sindhi · American English · Urdu and Hindi | |
Religion | |
Islam · Hinduism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Sindhi diaspora · Pakistani Americans · Indian Americans |
Sindhi Americans are Americans or residents of the United States who are of Sindhi descent.[lower-greek 1] They are a subgroup of Pakistani Americans and Indian Americans.[2]
Demographics
Originating from the Sindh region of Pakistan, most Sindhi Americans are Muslim. Some belong to the Hindu faith, particularly those who migrated from India.[2] In the 2010 US Census, nearly 7,000 individuals reported Sindhi as their first language.[1] The total population of the Sindhi diaspora in the United States is estimated at over 50,000.[3] The community is spread out over various U.S. cities, with sizable populations on the eastern coast.[4]
Culture
Sindhi festivals such as Cheti Chand are celebrated each year with much fanfare.[5] The American Institute of Sindhulogy (AIS) is a non-profit institute of Sindhology in the U.S., dedicated to researching the history and cultural heritage of Sindh as well as its ancient Indus Valley Civilisation.[6]
Organizations and politics
Sindhi Americans are socially and politically active, having formed numerous community and political-oriented organizations. They maintain interest in domestic American politics, as well as Sindhi politics and the wider politics of Pakistan.[7] The Pakistan Peoples Party has a local chapter in the U.S., in which many Sindhis are involved.[8][9] The World Sindhi Institute is a human rights organization founded in 1997 and is based in Washington, D.C.[7] The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) has a U.S chapter which participates in human rights advocacy and the promotion of Sindhi political interests among the diaspora.[10] G. M. Syed Memorial Committee is a group based in Houston, which promotes the ideology of Sindhi nationalist leader G.M. Syed.[11][4] There are also Congress-focused lobbying groups such as the Sindhi American Political Action Committee (SAPAC),[12] and the Sindh Monitor.[2]
In addition, there are multiple community organizations and associations. The Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) is one of the largest societies of Sindhis residing in North America.[13][14] Other Sindhi associations include the American British Sindhi Medical Network (ABSMN),[15] and the Alliance of Sindhi Associations of Americas which consists of various state-based associations.[16]
Notable people
- Ali S. Asani, academic
- Sabeer Bhatia, entrepreneur and founder of Hotmail[17]
- Abdul-Majid Bhurgri, computer scientist
- Neeraj Khemlani, journalist
- Raj Kiran Mehtani, Bollywood actor
- Rajesh Mirchandani, television journalist
- Rajeev Motwani, computer scientist
- Sunita S. Mukhi, performance artist and cultural producer
- Kumail Nanjiani, actor and stand-up comedian
- Safdar Sarki, political activist
- Sachal Vasandani, jazz singer
- Reetika Vazirani, poet and educator
- Umesh Vazirani, computer scientist
- Vijay Vazirani, computer scientist
See also
Notes
- ↑ Sindhi: سنڌي آمريڪي (Arabic); सिन्धी अमेरिकन (Devanagari)
References
- 1 2 "US Census 2010 (see row# 69)". U.S. Census Bureau.
Table 1. Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over for the United States: 2006-2008
- 1 2 3 4 Chatterji, Joya; Washbrook, David (2014). Routledge Handbook of the South Asian Diaspora. Routledge. ISBN 9781136018244.
- ↑ Alfonso, Carolin; Kokot, Waltraud; Tölölyan, Khachig (2004). Diaspora, Identity and Religion: New Directions in Theory and Research. Routledge. ISBN 9781134390359.
- 1 2 "Hundreds of Sindhi-Americans Gathered in Houston to Pay Tribute to Their National Leader". World Sindhi Congress. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ↑ "Cheti Chand Celebrations April 2nd, 2016". Sindhi Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ↑ "Homepage". American Institute of Sindhulogy. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- 1 2 Syed, Wajid Ali (3 July 2012). "Sindhi organisations issue 10-point declaration in US". The News International. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ↑ "Welcome to Pakistan Peoples Party USA Official Web Site". Pakistan Peoples Party (USA). Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ↑ "The Official Website of Pakistan Peoples Party - USA". Pakistan Peoples Party (USA). Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ↑ Ghosh, Papiya (2014). Partition and the South Asian Diaspora: Extending the Subcontinent. Routledge. p. 111. ISBN 9781317809661.
- ↑ "Work & Life of G. M. Syed". GMSyed.org. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ↑ "Homepage (archived from Wayback)". SAPAC. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ↑ "Welcome to Sindhi Association of North America". SANALIST. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ↑ "Home". SANA. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ↑ "Home". American British Sindhi Medical Network. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ↑ "Homepage". Global Sindhi Association. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ↑ Sakhrani, Tarun (4 January 2016). "The Sindhis of Sindh And Beyond". Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 August 2016.