India in America
Vivek Ranjan Srivastava
India’s presence in America is not confined to a single event, monument, or immigrant community. It is an expansive cultural, intellectual, and social landscape shaped gradually over time. This presence sometimes appears in the form of a statue installed in a garden, sometimes in lectures delivered in university halls, sometimes in collaborative research inside laboratories, and sometimes in the rhythm of a tabla or the echo of devotional songs in a small town cultural center.
The bust of Mahatma Gandhi installed in the North Lawn Garden of the United Nations Headquarters in New York stands as a powerful symbol of this presence. Unveiled in December 2022 by India’s External Affairs Minister and the United Nations Secretary General, it is the first permanent statue of Gandhi within the UN परिसर. It is noteworthy that Gandhi himself never visited America, yet the country hosts the largest number of his statues and memorials outside India. This reality reflects not a formal diplomatic decision but an ideological acceptance developed within American society for Gandhi’s principles of truth and nonviolence. From the American civil rights movement to various peace movements, the imprint of Gandhi’s ideas is clearly visible.
If one traces the historical beginnings of the intellectual relationship between America and India, Swami Vivekananda’s visit to Chicago in 1893 emerges as a decisive moment. His address at the World’s Parliament of Religions was not merely a speech but a formal introduction of Indian philosophy to the Western world. His vision based on religious tolerance, universality, and human unity was both new and deeply appealing to American audiences. Subsequently, Vivekananda traveled across American cities, propagated Vedanta philosophy, initiated disciples, and laid the institutional foundations of Vedanta Societies. The memorial associated with his spiritual practice at Thousand Island Park in New York State still bears witness to the fact that Indian spiritual tradition established lasting roots on American soil.
In the latter half of the twentieth century, the Indian diaspora in America shaped a new dimension of India’s image. Today, the population of people of Indian origin in the United States exceeds five million, and this community plays an influential role in education, science, medicine, information technology, business, and public life. This is not merely a story of economic success but also of cultural self confidence. By preserving their festivals, languages, arts, and social values, the Indian community has woven them into the American social fabric in a way that is participatory rather than isolated. In some states, state governments have even begun recognizing Diwali as a public holiday.
India Community Centers and cultural centers established across many American states are living examples of this confidence. Whether it is the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, or cultural centers in New Jersey, Utah, and New York, these spaces function like modern day village squares. Along with yoga classes, they offer language instruction for children, music and dance training, programs for senior citizens, and large scale cultural festivals. Here, second and third generation members of the Indian diaspora learn that being Indian and being American are not opposing identities but ones that enrich each other.
Hindu temples, Jain temples, and gurdwaras in America have also moved beyond being mere places of worship. They have become centers of cultural and social activity. Classical dance performances after prayers, plays and devotional singing during festivals, language classes, and community discussions transform these spaces into broader social platforms. In this process, Indian tradition moves beyond the religious sphere and becomes an integral part of cultural and social life. Organizations such as ISKCON, Akshardham, and several Indian spiritual teachers are actively engaged in significant work across many parts of America.
Alongside Mahatma Gandhi, statues of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar in America also underline India’s ideological presence. The large statue installed in Maryland brings forth a tradition of social justice, equality, and constitutional values that form a shared legacy of both Indian and American democracies. It signals that India in America is not limited to spiritual or cultural symbols alone, but also represents modern democratic thought.
The presence of Indian art and history in American museums forms another important chapter of this narrative. Institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco present India as a visual classroom through their rich collections of sculpture, painting, and textile art. In these galleries, India appears not merely as an ancient civilization but as a living aesthetic tradition that continues to engage with modern artistic dialogues.
Beyond cultural symbols, collaboration between India and America in science and technology represents a less visible but extremely significant dimension of India’s presence. Platforms such as the Indo US Science and Technology Forum, joint clean energy research centers, and cooperation between ISRO and NASA in space science have deeply connected the scientific communities of both countries. Indian engineering experts working in laboratories alongside American scientists demonstrate that this relationship is not rooted only in the past or in culture, but is equally invested in shaping the future. Indian made clothing and other products are also readily available in American malls, becoming part of everyday consumer experience.
When all these elements are viewed together, it becomes clear that India in America is not a linear story. It is a multidimensional journey that begins with Gandhi and Vivekananda and extends through immigrant communities, cultural centers, temples, museums, and laboratories. On one side stands the world’s oldest modern democracy and on the other the world’s largest democracy. The dialogue between them appears sometimes as an exchange of ideas, sometimes through cultural celebrations, and sometimes through shared scientific projects.
India in America, therefore, is not merely a memory but a living experience. This experience exists wherever Indian values, ideas, and creativity engage in dialogue with American society and enrich it. It is this ongoing dialogue that keeps the relationship dynamic and oriented toward the future.
Vivek Ranjan Srivastava
