Indian Immigrant Women and Work

Recently, interest in the numbers of skilled immigrants coming from India to the US has soared. However, this immigration is seen as being overwhelmingly male. This book investigates the work trajectories and related assimilation experiences of independent Indian women who have chosen their own migratory pathways in the US. It explores the links between individual experiences and the macro trends of women, work, immigration and feminism. The authors use historical records, previously unpublished gender disaggregate immigration data, and interviews with Indian women who have migrated to the US to demonstrate that independent migration among Indian women has a long and substantial history.

Ramya M. Vijaya is a Professor of Economics at Stockton University, New Jersey, US. Besides courses in Economics, she also teaches in the interdisciplinary Global Studies Minor. Bidisha Biswas is Professor of Political Science at Western Washington University, US. She previously served as a policy adviser on South Asia to the United States Department of State.

Introduction: Marking a Place in History Choosing to Leave Rising Above or Hitting the Glass Ceiling? Leaning in and Reaching Out- Personal Networks and Political Processes Merging Histories: Charting Feminist Journeys in the US and India Learning from The Past and Shaping New Legacies