Sindhi Americans

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Sindhi Americans are Americans or residents of the United States who are of Sindhi descent. They are a subgroup of Indian Americans and Pakistani Americans.^[1]

Demographics

Originating from the Sindh region of British India now in modern-day Pakistan, Sindhi Americans belong to either Hindu or Muslim faith. Some belong to the Hindu faith, particularly those who migrated from the Indian Republic.^[1] In the 2010 US Census, nearly 7,000 individuals reported Sindhi as their first language.^[2] The total population of the Sindhi diaspora in the United States is estimated at over 50,000.^[3] The community is spread out over various U.S. cities, with sizable populations on the eastern coast.^[4]

Culture

Sindhi festivals such as Cheti Chand are celebrated each year with much fanfare.^[5] The American Institute of Sindhulogy (AIS) is a non-profit institute of Sindhology in the U.S., dedicated to researching the history and cultural heritage of Sindh as well as its ancient Indus Valley civilisation.^[6]

Organizations and politics

Sindhi Americans are socially and politically active, having formed numerous community and political-oriented organizations. They maintain interest in domestic American politics, as well as Sindhi politics and the wider politics of Pakistan.^[7] The Pakistan Peoples Party has a local chapter in the U.S., in which many Sindhis are involved.^[8][9] The World Sindhi Institute is a human rights organization founded in 1997 and is based in Washington, D.C.^[7] The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) has a U.S chapter which participates in human rights advocacy and the promotion of Sindhi political interests among the diaspora.^[10] G. M. Syed Memorial Committee is a group based in Houston, which promotes the ideology of Sindhi nationalist leader G.M. Syed.^[11][4] There are also Congress-focused lobbying groups such as the Sindhi American Political Action Committee (SAPAC),^[12] and the Sindh Monitor.^[1]

In addition, there are multiple community organizations and associations. The Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) is one of the largest societies of Sindhis residing in North America.^[13][14] Other Sindhi associations include the American British Sindhi Medical Network (ABSMN),^[15] and the Alliance of Sindhi Associations of Americas which consists of various state-based associations.^[16]

Notable people

Indian-origin Sindhi American

• Sabeer Bhatia, entrepreneur and founder of Hotmail^[17]
• Dheeraj Sangtiani, Construction Manager^[18]
• Neeraj Khemlani, journalist
• Raj Kiran Mehtani, Bollywood actor
• Rajesh Mirchandani, television journalist
• Rajeev Motwani, computer scientist
• Ramesh Balwani, former president and COO of Theranos
• Reshma Kewalramani, Chief Executive Officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals
• Sachal Vasandani, jazz singer
• Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and medical journalist
• Reetika Vazirani, poet and educator
• Umesh Vazirani, computer scientist
• Vijay Vazirani, computer scientist
• Sunita S. Mukhi, performance artist and cultural producer
• Lavina Jadhwani, theatre director and playwright
• Richa Moorjani, actress

Pakistan-origin Sindhi American

• Ali S. Asani, academic
• Abdul-Majid Bhurgri, computer scientist
• Iqbal Theba, actor
• Kumail Nanjiani, actor and stand-up comedian
• Safdar Sarki, political activist
• Gul Agha, computer scientist
• Somy Ali, actress and activist

See also

• Asian Americans
• Pakistani Americans
  • Baloch Americans
  • Pashtun Americans
  • Punjabi Americans
• Indian Americans

Notes

References