Report: Indians Flock to New Hampshire

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The following article is from http://IndiaNewEngland.com.

Indians behind growth in immigrant population in NH

Prithvi Kumar's social life has come a long way since he first moved from India to New Hampshire in the 1970s for work. Seeking out other Indian immigrants on his arrival, Kumar found he had few doors to knock on.

"There were only about a half-dozen families from India [in New Hampshire] and we would rent a [Bollywood] movie from New York, charge each family five dollars, and that was our entertainment," Kumar, the president of the India Association of New Hampshire, said.

What a difference 30 years makes. According to a recent University of New Hampshire report, New Hampshire now boasts the seventh fastest-growing foreign-born population in the nation, and Indians are largely behind that growth.

Between 2000 and 2005, 1,791 Indians moved to New Hampshire, according to the report.

To put the figure in perspective, that's about the entire population of Unity, NH, the town that played host to the recent Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton reunion rally in June.

Moreover, India placed second, trailing only Vietnam, as the source of New Hampshire's fastest-growing foreign population over the same five-year time period, according to the report.

As of 2005, Indians made up the second-largest foreign-born population in the state. According to the report, six percent of New Hampshire's foreign-born population hails from India, placing Indians behind only Canadians who made up 16 percent of the state's foreign-born population.

Ross Gittell, a professor of management at the Whittemore School of Business at UNH, authored the report, entitled "A Profile of New Hampshire's Foreign-born Population," for the Carsey Institute, a policy research center based at the university.

Gittell said the report, which largely relied on data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, found that New Hampshire's southern corridor is a particular draw for Indian immigrants.

"The general profile of the [Indian] community as highly educated and high-income earners is well met in New Hampshire based on the state's proximity to the Boston-Cambridge area, the region's technology-based economy, the relative strength of the New Hampshire economy and several quality of life factors," he said.

The growth of New Hampshire's foreign-born population has far eclipsed New England as a whole. While New England saw just over a two-percent annual increase in its foreign-born population between 2000 and 2005, New Hampshire tallied a six percent average jump every year, according to the report.

It's a trend that hasn't been lost on Kumar. He has watched IANH [Indian Association of New Hampshire] membership steadily rise since the organization was first officially launched in 1989.

He said IANH-sponsored events like its Diwali [Hindu festival of colored lights, held in October and November] function have jumped in attendance from a few dozen in the early 1990s to over 700 last year. In the last four years alone, Kumar said attendance at the function has tripled.

"Fifteen years ago, we could hardly get anyone to come," he said.

Historically, the state of New Hampshire has hardly been associated as a mecca for America's foreign-born population. Home to hundreds of homogeneous small towns, the state, where more than 95 percent of residents are white, according to U.S. Census figures, never appeared to be a particular draw for foreign-born residents hailing from Asian and South American countries.

But that view is changing.

"It's low taxes and job opportunities [that are attracting Indians to New Hampshire]," said Kumar. Kumar also said the state's high number of entrepreneurs and small companies makes New Hampshire attractive for Indian immigrants.

Gittell noted that New Hampshire's foreign-born population is far more diverse than the nation's, with the state boasting growing populations from Vietnam, India, Lebanon, Russia, China, Brazil and Latin America.

New Hampshire also has a far lower proportion of Mexican immigrants and illegal immigrants than the nation as a whole, Gittell said.

Gittell said the issue of immigration, which could be a hot topic in the 2008 election, is not as contentious in New Hampshire as it is in other states. He noted that during the state's presidential primary, the issue was not widely debated or discussed.

"There's generally a positive recognition of immigrants and their contributions helping the state compete in the global economy," Gittell said. "In New Hampshire I think there's a positive level of acceptance and appreciation of the immigrant community. I don't think there's been a backlash at all."

Gittell added that the report likely under-represented India's presence in the state, because the it did not account for Indian Americans who were born in the United States. Gitell noted that Indians tend to be family-oriented, and New Hampshire is more conducive for families than more urban areas.

And while Gittell said "all indications" point to the number of foreign immigrants continuing to swell in the state, he cautioned that the long-term effects of the growth on the state's cultural, social and economic environment will take years to develop because the state's foreign population is still quite small.

"Because the base is so low, it's going to take two decades for this to have a really profound effect on the state and its politics," he said.

But he added that because the state is one of the most homogeneous in the nation, the recent surge in immigrants is notable because many come to the state without a network of family and friends in the area.

"It makes it even more impressive that all these immigrants are finding their way to New Hampshire," he said.

Source: INDIAnewEngland.com

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