Americanization and Nativism Although not recognized for its ethnic diversity, Indianapolis attracted periodic waves of foreign immigrants in the 1830s to 1850s (Germans and Irish) and the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries… Read More »Americanization and Nativism
Americanization Programs in Schools Americanization programs were aimed at socializing immigrants and their children to the norms of middle-class, native-born Americans. That Americanization was one of the early purposes of free, public education can… Read More »Americanization Programs in Schools
Asian Indians Asian Indians are persons of Indian-subcontinent origins. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans. Indianapolis, as well as the rest of… Read More »Asian Indians
Buddhism Buddhism has had a visible presence in Indianapolis since at least the 1980s, with the number of temples and meditation centers increasing significantly after the late 1990s. As a result… Read More »Buddhism
Burmese Indiana is home to the greatest number of Burmese refugees in the United States, with the largest concentration living in Indianapolis. Many Burmese refugees live in the Washington Township area… Read More »Burmese
Canadians From the mid-to-late 19th century, many Canadians, reacting to economic change, stagnation, and depression in their homeland, migrated southward to the United States. The largest number of Indiana’s Canadian-born inhabitants… Read More »Canadians
Chinese Few Chinese immigrants settled in Indianapolis until the late 20th century. The federal Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Oriental Exclusion Act of 1924 both effectively limited Chinese immigration… Read More »Chinese
Danes The migration of Danes to America was sparse and slow, with the largest movement occurring late in the 19th century. Economic and political instability in Denmark and the lure of… Read More »Danes
Dutch The Dutch community in Indianapolis, a mixed lot culturally and religiously, never totaled more than 500 persons. The first Dutch families arrived in the city in the 1850s and 1860s,… Read More »Dutch
English Though the English were among the earliest immigrants to arrive in Indianapolis, they never formed a very large proportion of the city’s population. Despite their limited numbers, however, the English… Read More »English
