Are most of South Asian descent in Britain second generation immigrants or more?

[nei]

Britain got a large population of Indian immigrants from the British East African colonies in the 60s and early 70s. My impression is that Indians in the US, at least the ones born here, are a bit more assimilated than British ones and tend to socialize outside their ethnic group more (though it's easier in the US since the Indian population is less concentrated). At the same time, Indians have been in the UK long enough they also seemed to have created a bit of a British-Indian subculture, that's neither entirely British nor Indian but feels a bit more of a fixture of the UK than just a recent import, if that makes any sense.

The Indian population in the US is a bit more disproportionately recent immigrant than the UK. For whatever reason, there's less difference in immigration patterns/economic differences between South Asian Muslims and non-Muslims in the US.

[markovian process]

Originally Posted by nei

At the same time, Indians have been in the UK long enough they also seemed to have created a bit of a British-Indian subculture, that's neither entirely British nor Indian but feels a bit more of a fixture of the UK than just a recent import, if that makes any sense.

Like Italian-Americans did, in the 20th century? Would that sort of be a parallel?

[munna21977]

Indians were living in UK even in Victorian times. In late 1800s, there were thousands of Indian students in London. One reason was that Indian Civil Services examination was held in UK only and any Indian who wanted to either become lawyer or any civil servant job had to come to England, pass the examination and then get a job in India in Government service. People like Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah all lived in England when they were young. People working in shipping industry as well as businessman involved in trading (tea, tobacco, textiles) kept on coming to UK. At the same time there were lot of White British living in India also. Foreign Office of UK in London has "Durbar Court". its Hindi word means court where Ruler meets its subjects. It used to be India House in olden days from where UK ruled over India. British heroes such as Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill have all lived in India at some point of time.

USA never had such connection with India. American presence in India was limited to few business houses and Missionaries. Immigration from India to USA is a recent phenomenon in 1990s and 2000 onwards especially due to students and IT workers and they took their families with them. The number of Indians in USA is double then number of Indians in UK now. 3.2 million in USA as compared to 1.6 million in UK. Now very few people from India want to go to UK as student and there are few jobs in IT or health care sector for them in UK. Immigration is more towards USA now. Till 1980, there were more Indians in UK then in USA. Now the tables have turned.

[omughal]

I am British Asian born in the UK early 1970s, emigrated to the US in 2005. I think most British Asians about my age would agree with me that Britain's indigenous population and our parents - particularly Muslim parents - had a hard time integrating. My parents and the Asian community in general would be shocked if I had married a white christian girl or joined the armed forces. On the other hand when I did approach military recruiters and attend a military college as a civilian (Shrivenham) I was surprised at the cool reception I received despite efforts to the contrary in the 1990s to recruit Asian officers. I won't talk about relationships but lets say it wasn't all rejection but neither was there open acceptance either, white girls were worried what their parents would think too.
Coming to the US was a breath of fresh air. Immediately I was accepted as British, English, European or whatever even though it wasn't without curiosity as to my racial background but also mainly acceptance that I was simply a British/English/European man with an immigrant background to UK. And in the US that is the norm not the exception. hence the easier acceptance into US life. On the contrary however, I have come across one person from Mississippi living in Texas who told me with no basis that his children are more American than mine even though my child is a US born citizen. When we travel to rural parts of Texas we do come across white people who stare curiously at my wife's headscarf and on occasion she has been sworn at and spat on because she looks Persian or Arab. But in the US this kind of rejection I have yet to see institutionalized like I had seen in schools, the British Army, police force though I have to say I have hardly been in the US ten years. Lets see how my children fare...

[nei]

I'd guess in the US any non-white person with a British accent would be a novelty and get some curious reactions. I'm guessing that the South Asian Muslim experience in the UK is different from South Asian non-Muslim experience in the UK. Of course, whites can't distinguish between based on appearance.

The military tends to a more traditional organization and less open to diversity than most groups in most places. There've been stories of East Asian having issues in the US military even if they're not particularly discriminated against in general society.

[lokeung)]

Indians have been moving overseas before India became independent, there are Indian communities in many non-White majority former British colonies such as South Africa, Uganda, Mauritius, British Caribbean, Fiji, Penang, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong ...etc. Well Indian diaspora are mostly in English-speaking countries, including the US. In some ways Indian culture is different from the UK. But many Indians had served on the Allies' side in both WW1 and WW2 and cricket and english language is something Indians share with the others. British also like Indian cuisine.