Review by Choice Review
Saran (Bernard M. Baruch College, CUNY) might very well have titled his short study ``Some Experiences of Some Asian Indians in the US,'' since its contents are in essence an elaboration of in-depth interviews by Saran with ten Asian Indians resident in an unidentified medium-sized city, as filtered through the author's own perceptions as an Asian Indian participant-observer. Even as a fragmentary record, however, Saran's work provides useful and interesting information about a relatively well off group of recent immigrants. Their professional status, income, and residential location place them well above the majority of contemporary native-born Americans, let alone other immigrant groups. They are doctors, professors, and engineers whose economic situation is secure and predictable enough that they can freely retain or discard whatever aspects of their ethnicity that they choose. Although some feel that discrimination against them exists, it is not significant enough to disturb their mental well being or socioeconomic health. The Asian Indians depicted retain many elements of their homeland's religious, culinary, social, and behavior attributes while having added those American cultural items that contribute to their betterment in the new society. Given the interesting nature of the author's findings, they could have been expanded at the expense of the routine discussion of theories of ethnicity and a potted history of immigration that make up one-fourth of the text. University libraries.-N. Lederer, formerly Lower Columbia College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
