Shriya Singh Raghuvanshi, History 250: The Historian Craft, Spring 2023

The tapestry of the Indian Diaspora in the United States has been weaving on the loom of social and national politics since the nineteenth century. Beginning with only a few strings of Indian (Asian) immigrants, the warp has since grown to include the stories of almost four million people, many of whom are tied to the governing weft of the landmark policy action known as the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act.[1] With this piece of history in mind, a consideration of the ethnic makeup within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s student body reveals that there is a significant population of Indian (Asian) students. Although it may be reasonably suspected that the group’s initial development on campus was a result of the 1965 law, this is not the case. Research and analysis of the university's history show that people of Indian (Asian) descent have been present on the campus since the 1900s; however, there is sparse evidence that details and documents the entire contour of the group’s story. Nevertheless, from all that is available, it is evident that a relationship between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and its Indian (Asian) students began in the early twentieth century and displayed an attempt at fostering tolerance and plurality.

Distinguished by the passage of the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act, the history of Indian (Asian) immigration to the United States is shaped by two highly defined eras of exclusion and inclusion. The 1965 act served as an amendment to its predecessors, known under the umbrella term of the National Origins Formula, a restrictive quota system, dating back to the 1920s that was designed to place tight margins on immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere.[2] For almost three decades, these laws, rooted in anti-immigrant sentiment and fear for the nation’s homogeneity, corked the stream of Indian (Asian) and other non-white immigration.[3] However, national support for a new, liberal immigration policy would rise as a result of the fervor to win the Cold War, the increased cognizance of America’s racist attitudes during the Civil Rights Movement, and the successes in World War II allyship between the United States and various nations, including India.[4] The subsequent legislation of Hart-Celler abolished the origins quota and, in its place, established a preferential system that favored family reunification and skilled employment.[5] With its official enactment, the previous discriminatory behavior exhibited in immigration policies by the United States towards Asians and various European groups had been formally cast out. This change in policy would now welcome immigrants by the thousands and allow their communities to flourish on American soil.

The fundamental characteristics that Indian (Asian) people sought in settlement areas during this time stayed roughly the same, despite changes in foreign policy and immigrant demography through the twentieth century. Following a pattern similar to that of other groups, the seeds for Indian (Asian) newcomers were planted on the eastern and western coasts, since those regions’ cities offered opportunities for jobs, education, and diverse cultural hubs.[6] Immigrants coming to America from India nearer the time of the 1965 Act overwhelmingly came from urban centers and possessed fluency in English, higher education, and technical skills, enabling them to assimilate in these areas with greater ease.[7] Although enclaves of Indian (Asian) people had blossomed on the coasts, slow inroads towards the midwest were paved with hopes of accessing universities and potentially more affordable living.[8] These desires of the community could be seen to be fulfilled in Lincoln, NE, as the city’s university provided quality study in the desired subjects like botany, mathematics, and technology at a fraction of the price. Furthermore, the group was drawn to the school due to its long history of welcoming foreign students, particularly from Asia.[9] The university’s preservation of such desirable attributes, coupled with their efforts to embrace the culture of their international students, would continue to attract enrollment from Asian communities throughout the twentieth century.

Within the limited archival material, the most recurring theme surrounding the interactions between the Indian (Asian) students and UNL was the development of camaraderie and appreciation between the two cultures. The most notable achievement of these goals was through an event called the “Indian Foreign Student’s Function,” which was held in 1958 at the Nebraska Union on City Campus. A Daily Nebraskan article titled “Displays of India: Indian Students Host Premier NU Function” kindly recounted the night’s festivities. The reported occasion marked the celebration of two Indian holidays, Diwali and Dussehra, and the gathering was deemed to be “the first of its kind in Lincoln” and “the first function held by Indian foreign students on this campus.” When describing the inspirations behind the function, the piece quoted Mr. N.K. Dutta from the university, who, along with several Indian (Asian) students, planned to host the event so that “they [those who attended] might understand more about the people of India.” Although it is not explicitly said, such a statement can be interpreted to acknowledge the group’s hopes for encouraging goodwill and their beliefs about the school being a safe space to share their culture.[10]

Moreover, the article elaborated upon the origins and meanings of the holidays by comparing them to familiar American ones, stating, “Many of the Indian holidays are similar to ours. There are fireworks, new clothes, and visiting relatives.” The phrase, similar to ours, drew a subtle distinction between the two groups: Indian and American; however, the following juxtaposition served as an attempt to establish a connection by sharing knowledge about the former through relatable and digestible bites. This strategy can be seen to have been fruitful, as the 1958 function served as the basis of the annual “India Night” across the later decades, which began attracting an attendance of over four hundred non-Indian (Asian) guests.[11] In local publications, other instances of the campus engaging with the perspectives of Indian (Asian) students are found in sporadic mentions and feature stories, often pertaining to political issues.

The documentation of Indian (Asian) students' voices in political discourse provides further evidence for their presence and inclusion on campus. During the time of the earliest Indian (Asian) students at UNL, India was experiencing the tail end of its freedom movement. Coverage of this then-current event was guided by commentary from experts and supplemented by the reflections and opinions of UNL’s very own Indian (Asian) students. An article titled, “India’s Millions Believe Gandhi Truly A Great Leader, interviews Appasahab Chavan, a doctoral student, about his views on the Indian Independence Movement and its most notable leader.[12] The statements shared in this column are thoughtful in that they describe misconceptions of India and the role of institutions during political and social change.

Another forum piece titled “The World in Focus: Foreign Students Speak Out” engages in a discussion with both Portuguese and Indian (Asian) students about the 1962 invasion of Portuguese Goa by India’s forces. The reported dialogue covers their analysis of India’s political decision-making, their personal thoughts regarding the situation, and their feelings about American media and journalism.[13] Other, vague mentions of Indian (Asian) participation in political issues can be deduced from the updates of the university’s 1929 Y Deputations’ state tour that was set to address the value of education to young boys and the 1961 YWCA discussion of the Peace Corps, which featured international students presenting their views.[14] Despite the scant evidence documenting the extent of participation by Indian (Asian) students, the consideration of the group in political spaces is enough to affirm their presence on campus. However, a greater sense of the depth of the community’s inclusion can be found through the few descriptions of Indian (Asian) women.

Although the appellation of their Indian heritage remained an integral piece when crafting their identity, the portrayal of female Indian (Asian) students in local publications was beyond one-dimensional. Of the few that are written, particularly striking are the stories of two Indian women with regards to their educational careers. A 1921 article from the Daily Nebraskan titled, “Bengal Girl Comes from Calcutta to University,” shares the news of “Princess” Khanto Bala Rai and her impressions of the city, her schooling in India, and her opinions on the length of American women’s skirts compared to her own sari. While the paper reported that she answered these questions gracefully, it also took note of how she possessed “ambition” and “charm” when asked about her goals for her studies at the university and future career.[15] From this, there is no denying that this woman was granted some agency related to her dreams and qualifications, even though a modern analysis may find sexist statements existing within this interaction. A later story from 1958 showcases the research and conclusions of graduate student Gori Mukherjee’s study on gifted youth and their potential for success in college. The only descriptions of her in the article are her status as a student and her origins in India. However, the lack of content about herself cannot be deemed demeaning, as the piece is successful in maintaining a respectful focus on her work and the contributions it has made to the topic at hand.[16] Although there are minimal accounts that focus on the specific stories of Indian (Asian) female students, what has been written has been done so with moderate depth.

In light of how little is known and officially recorded about Indian (Asian) students and their ties to UNL, this article recognizes the need to outline the frayed and obscured strands of history. Through the use of personal narratives and examples of their inclusion on campus, this piece aims to spark a discussion about the ties of a community and the tale of their development beyond generic suspicions. Although this piece takes on a positive tone about the presence of the Indian (Asian) community on campus, that is not to say that racism and discrimination did not occur. The discovery of this information through archival research hopes to inspire further investigation about the interactions and relationships between the Indian (Asian) community and UNL, including that of other groups, so that gaps in the local history may be patched. However, it ought to be noted that for this specific case of Indian (Asian) roots on campus, there is no one to blame for the lack of conversation since no attempts at doctoring stories have been found and the field of South Asian diasporic studies remains relatively young overall. Regardless, this article is intended to serve as a platform for others to engage in their own historical inquiries.

When assessing the roots of the Indian (Asian) student body at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the surrounding city, archival evidence provides a basis to agree that the group has been active and included on campus since at least the 1920s. Although the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act is responsible for a majority of the developments within the country’s Indian (Asian) population, it cannot be credited with the establishment of the community that surrounds the college. The records, albeit incomplete, allowed for a deductive analysis to explore the origins and nature of the relationship between the campus and the foreign students of India through the lenses of community, politics, and gender. Although the story is not in its entirety, the tracing of these faint threads has uncovered a little bit of the local Indian (Asian) community’s history.

Notes

1. Abby Budiman, Neil G. Ruiz, “Key facts about Asian Americans, a diverse and growing population” Pew Research Center, April 29 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/
2. Erika Lee, “Legacies of the 1965 Immigration Act,” South Asian American Digital Archive, 15 October 2015. https://www.saada.org/tides/article/legacies-of-the-1965-immigration-act
3. “Timeline.” Immigration History: A Project of the Immigration and Ethnic History Society. Accessed 28 April, 2023. https://immigrationhistory.org/timeline/
4. Erika Lee, “Legacies of the 1965 Immigration Act,” South Asian American Digital Archive, 15 October 2015. https://www.saada.org/tides/article/legacies-of-the-1965-immigration-act
5. Erika Lee, “Legacies of the 1965 Immigration Act,” South Asian American Digital Archive, 15 October 2015. https://www.saada.org/tides/article/legacies-of-the-1965-immigration-act
6. John P. Williams, “Journey to America: South Asian Diaspora Migration to the United States (1965-2015),” September 11, 2019, https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/68484
7. John P. Williams, “Journey to America: South Asian Diaspora Migration to the United States (1965-2015),” September 11, 2019, https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/68484
8. Harvey, Milton E., Kevin A. Butler, Norah F. Henry, and John W. Frazier, Asian Indian settlement patterns in select American Gateways. (New York: Springer Dordrecht, 2015), 157-192.
9. Jun Yi-Goh, “International Students and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” Undergraduate Thesis, (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2022)
10. “Displays of India: Indian Students Hold Premier NU Function,” The Daily Nebraskan, October 28, 1958. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1958-10-28/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Dutta (May 06, 2023)
11. “Displays of India: Indian Students Hold Premier NU Function,” The Daily Nebraskan, October 28, 1958. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1958-10-28/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Dutta (May 06, 2023)
12. “India’s Millions Believe Ghandi Truly A Great Leader,” The Daily Nebraskan, May 14, 1936, https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1936-05-14/ed-1/seq-4/#words=from+India+student (April 03, 2023)
13. “The World in Focus: Foreign Students Speak Out,” The Daily Nebraskan, January 10, 1962, https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1962-01-10/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Goa (April 03. 2023)
14. “Y Deputations Visit Many Boys in Other Cities,” The Daily Nebraskan, April 07, 1929, https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1929-04-07/ed-1/seq-1/#words=foreign+from+India+students (April 03, 2023); “YWCA to Discuss Peace Corps Plan,” The Daily Nebraskan, April 05, 1961 https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1961-04-05/ed-1/seq-5/#words=YWCA (April 03, 2023)
15. “Bengal Girl Comes From Calcutta to University,” The Daily Nebraskan, September 14, 1921. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1921-09-14/ed-1/seq-6/#words=Khanto+Rai (April 03, 2023)
16. “Show Future Promise: Graduate Student Reviews Gifted Children in College,” The Daily Nebraskan, January 8, 1958. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1958-01-08/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Mukherjee (April 03, 2023)
17. “Displays of India: Indian Students Hold Premier NU Function,” The Daily Nebraskan, October 28, 1958. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1958-10-28/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Dutta (May 06, 2023)
18. “Bengal Girl Comes From Calcutta to University,” The Daily Nebraskan, September 14, 1921. https://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1921-09-14/ed-1/seq-6/#words=Khanto+Rai (April 03, 2023)

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