- Hinduism in the United States
faith is still largely unknown to the general population, even as more temples are built.
The ARIS study of 2001 found some 1.1 million adherents of Hinduism in the United States (0.4% of US population).
History
Prior to 1965, Hindu immigration to the U.S. was minuscule and isolated. In those earlier days, traders were primarily the only ones who bothered to set foot in the USA. The
Bellingham Riots inBellingham, Washington onSeptember 5 ,1907 epitomized the low tolerance in the USA forIndia ns andHindus . Despite such events, they continued to work and stay until theImmigration and Nationality Services (INS) Act of 1965 was passed. This opened the doors to Hindu immigrants who wished to work and start families in the United States. It included preachers as well, who spread awareness of the religion among a people that had little contact with it.In September of 1965, an elderly Indian sadhu named
Prabhupada arrived inNew York . After a short time, he acquired a troupe of followers, and founded theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness . Since then manyHindu communities exist, from close-knit communities of mainstream Hindus living near one another to several farm communities owned byISKCON .Other influential Indians of a Hindu faith are
Chinmoy andMaharishi Mahesh Yogi . Today, the most visible of the Hindu preachers appear to be those who sing theHare Krishna Mahamantra (i.e. theGaudiya Vaishnavas ) as well as otherVaishnavas , and those of aShaivite faith. Numeroussadhus andGurus live in or visit the United States.Rajan Zed , Hindu chaplain from Nevada, read the first Hindu prayer in the United States Senate in Washington DC on July 12, 2007, in its 218 years history. [Cite web |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/7163 |title=California Senate opened with Hindu prayer for first time |accessdate=2008-07-24 |date=2007-08-29 |publisher="Asian Tribune "]Hindu temples in the United States
The first Hindu temple in North America was the Sri Venkateswara Temple in
Penn Hills, Pennsylvania , a suburb of Pittsburgh. Sri Venkateswara Temple was consecrated in 1976 and receives an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 pilgrims every year. Other prominent temples include theMalibu Hindu Temple , built in 1981 and located inCalabasas , is owned and operated by theHindu Temple Society of Southern California . The temple is nearMalibu, California .Status
The Hindus of the United States seem to enjoy both de jure and de facto legal equality. Generations of Hindus, both of
South Asian , as well as European ancestry, have lived and worked in the USA, raising families, buying homes, and making roots, rendering their culture and spirituality an integral part ofAmerican culture . Hindus are second most educated among all religious groups in the United States, and are the second most affluent after the Jews. 43% of American Hindus made over $100,000 per year and 48% of Hindus have post-graduate degrees [ [http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20080228202512&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0 Well-educated and rich in US? Has to be a Hindu] Newindpress - February 29, 2008]Awareness
Since Hinduism is a minority religion, there is little awareness about it among the general public. Many misconceptions, stereotypes exist and are sometimes further perpetrated by otherwise responsible entities (such as schools, school books and encyclopedic articles). It is widely perceived in America as a religion with
caste and worship of the cow as its defining features. In South Indian traditions, cattle reverence is done primarily during harvest festivals, due to the animal having contributed significantly to the agrarian lifestyle. The south Indian festival ofPongal reveres the cattle on a day known as Maattu Pongal by bathing and decorating them, and feeding them rich home-cooked savories.A large fraction of American population today practices
Hatha Yoga andmeditation , concepts that have their origins in the Vedic culture. There has also been an extensive application of Hindu principles for self-improvement and execution of business in the work-place.Statistics
According to the
United States Department of State 's [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/ International Religious Freedom Report 2004] , the number ofHindus in theUnited States is approximately 1,478,670, or 0.5% of the total population. This figure consists of immigrants from countries whereHinduism is an indigeous belief and their descendants, as well as Americans who adhere to Hinduism.ee also
*
Californian Hindu textbook controversy References
External links
* [http://www.councilofhindutemples.org/ The Council of Hindu Temples of North America]
* [http://www.indians-abroad.com/pls/dir/dir.show?cat_id=2348 Hindu Temples in USA]
* [http://www.hindumandir.us State-wise list of Hindu Temples in USA with photos and addresses]
* [http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/echoes/chapter4/chapter4.html South Asian Pioneers in California, 1899-1965]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A334-2004Apr9 Wrath Over a Hindu God] by Shankar Vedantam, "Washington Post ", 10 April 2004.
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