The Chhaya CDC report entitled “Deepening Roots and Creating Space: Building a Better Future for New York’s South Asians” clearly outlined the problems today’s South Asian immigrants face and make suggestions in how to solve these problems. Although I found this list of recommendations to be a bit lofty in the sense that all of these initiatives require substantial funding, the report explicitly explains the issues that plague this ethnic group.
The two most notable matters of struggle explained were employment and housing, two intertwining facets of a person’s life, regardless of whether or not they are an immigrant. However, how these things are affected differ for South Asians. A staggering statistic claims that nearly 50% of South Asian immigrants have a college degree, while only 8% work technical jobs. This discrepancy is concerning to say the least. Un- and underemployment are issues plaguing the nation as a whole, but for a person having the education and abilities of an accountant to be working as a cab driver is unacceptable. This raises the question of why this is occurring, and according to the report, much of it stems from English language proficiency, or a lack thereof. Therefore, it’s integral for ESOL classes to be implemented in these communities if there is any chance of ameliorating this employment predicament.
Naturally, if one is un- or underemployed, making ends meet can be tough. In explaining the housing situation, the report shows how an overwhelming majority of South Asians are renters. In being renters, they face a whole other set of problems, in particular, paying rent and having a lease. The first is fairly self-explanatory; what is notable is that half of these renters do not have leases, putting them in a precarious situation in terms of keeping their homes. On the other hand, homeowners, especially new ones are at high risk of being victims of a subprime mortgage, considering more than half of them weren’t asked to show proof of income when applying for the mortgage. These issues could be linked back to the language barrier since a) these South Asians may not understand the lease process or the validity of a mortgage, and b) their lack of knowledge in English puts them at lower wage jobs and therefore lower income housing.
Finally, it was also interesting to see that the number one reason for moving into a neighborhood was maintaining a sense of community, linking back to the concept of these immigrant enclaves. One participant is even quoted as feeling out of place in a community that is majority Chinese and Hispanic. There were also links to the Jerry Vattamala talk, especially in regards to the underrepresentation of South Asians and the un-acknowledgement of Indo-Caribbeans in the US Census. Personally, I think the report does a good job of explaining and enlightening the issues of South Asians, but there are still leaps to be made before the initiatives recommended can really be mobilized.
