ABSTRACT
The United States of America (USA) is a land of immigrants. However, for a long period, only white populations were permitted to immigrate and settle down there. Attempts to migrate by a few Indian youths from Punjab were frustrated by the hostility of the predominant white population. At the time of India's independence in 1947, there were reportedly only 2,405 Indians living in the United States. It was only after 1946 that the USA started to admit non-whites, though on a nominal scale. Such a policy change was precipitated by the Second World War, which elevated America as the leader of the free world. She had to abandon the exclusionist policy to placate the interests of the non-white nations which became her allies. However, large-scale migration was allowed from 1965 onwards. In turn, immigration took an upward trend, and the size of Indian population, which was only 12,300 in 1960, swelled to a phenomenal figure of 5.4 million by 2024. In this process, persons belonging to all linguistic groups and religious denominations have become partners. Though they engaged in various occupations, there was a tilt in favour of IT-related work. Since the bulk of the migrants were well educated and highly qualified, they could command better rates of remuneration in the USA, than in their native countries. Many of them could reach dizzy heights in the political, economic and social arenas of life. However, they formed only a tiny minority of about 1.5 per cent of the population of the USA. Enlightened self-interest rather than egalitarian norms rules the roost in the whole process by luring the best brains to the USA from other parts of the world. Nevertheless, the immigrants could give expression to their inborn talents in the congenial environment of the USA.
