Currently, 1.5 million or 0.5% of United States population is Hindu.
History
Prior to 1965, Hindu immigration to the US 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 in Bellingham, Washington on September 5, 1907epitomized the low tolerance in the USA for Indians and Hindus. Despite such events, they continued to work and stay until the Immigration 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 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in New York. After a short time, he acquired a troupe of followers, and founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Other Indians of a Hindu faith, such as Chinmoy and Maharishi, started preaching missions that inspired many Americans to accept a Hindu belief system. Today, the most visible of the Hindu preachers appear to be those who sing the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, i.e., the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, as well as other Vaishnavas, and those of a Shaivite faith. Today, numerous sadhus and Gurus live or visit the United States.
Many Hindu communities exist, from close knit communities of mainstream Hindus living near one another, to planned communities such as Vedic City, Iowa, and several farm communities owned by ISKCON.
Hindu Temples in United States
Hindu temple near Malibu, California
Many Hindu temples were constructed in United States. They are very popular with the Indian-American communities in the country. Prominent temples are,
Status
The Hindus of America in modern times enjoy both de jure and de facto equality under the laws of the United States. Generations of Hindus, both of South Asian, as well as European ancestory, have lived and worked in the USA, raising families, buying homes, and making roots, rendering their culture and spirituality an integral part of the multi-faceted diamond that is the American Experience.
Awareness
Hinduism being 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, encyclopedic articles). It is widely perceived in America as a polytheistic religion with caste and worship of the cow as its defining features. Those familiar with the religion will note that it is not polytheistic, worship of the cow is rare and that the caste system is over-emphasised and exaggerated in the American conscience.
Scholarship
Hinduism studies in American Universities has been under the spotlight recently for it's shoddy scholarship. With the increasing Hindu population in the country, gross errors & misrepresentations that may have passed through easily before are being caught and highlighted. An influential figure in the academy, Wendy Doniger, Professor of History of Religions, University of Chicago, has come under severe criticism for her work and that of her students.
Statistics
According to the United States Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [1], the number of Hindus in the United States is approximately 1,478,670, 0.5% of the population.
The above figure consists of immigrants from countries where Hinduism is an indigeous belief and their descendants, as well as Americans who converted.
See also
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_the_United_States under GFDL
