India's Historic Influence and Immigration to America

All throughout history, India has been a place where much wealth and goods filled the country and countless numbers of people came. There has been British influence within the country from being under control of the British, increasing its already diverse nation. For years, there has been many prominent figures that have come from India and had a major influence on others. One of the most influential figures was Mahatma Gandhi, who believed in non-violence and fighting with words only. Just like many of those in America, he fought hard for civil rights. As others did, Asian Indians came to America for new opportunities and live the American Dream. Opportunities in India are harder to come by since the population is the second largest in world,

“Her first full-length play, Gandhi Marg, won 2nd place in Writers Digest’s 75th Annual Stage Play Competition and was a finalist for Chicago Dramatist’s Many Voices Project” (South Asian Playwrights). She has won more than eight awards for her plays and is a part of 5 membership boards and councils. She has only written 6 plays, but also directed and participated in some films. She was an actress in “Promise Land,” which was a large film in Hollywood (IMDb). Three of her plays deal with a South Asian Woman being the lead character and having strong roles. This is similar to the belief she holds herself, that a woman should be independent and capable of standing up for themselves. While in her final years of work in Chicago, she was founding executive director of Rasaka and co-producer of Jeff-winning The Masrayana. Just like other playwrights, she uses her complete background and beliefs to shape her plays. Her plays hold strong views and messages, which can be seen by the awards she has received for those

After years of rejection by both the people and government, they were able to slowly adjust to it. Asian Indians is such a broad term that includes people of many different religious and cultural backgrounds like Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and even Buddhists, which is not surprising since India is a place where many religions have visited before, but with having such a diverse group with the ethnic group of Asian Indians brings many different ideas and perspectives in our society. Overall, Asian Indians have had a long history in America and played an important role in developing American theater and other