Presentation at Gujarat University, India

Dr. Joshi presented a paper on the “The Role of Hinduism in the Indian Diaspora in the United States” at the 2012 Conference: India Diaspora: Inter Linkage and Synergy at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India. The conference was sponsored by Gujarat University and Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) on January 12-13, 2012.

This paper examines the role of religion in the Indian Diaspora, particularly after 1965, informed by historical considerations regarding race, religion, and U.S. law in the 20th century. Since 1965, Hindu communities have become part of the US landscape. It also discusses the development of an American Hinduism which is transnational in nature. Among the questions this paper address are: What does religion look like in the lives of immigrants? What does lived religion look like in the lives of second-generation Americans? What do they consider "religious"? How do they view India, vis-à-vis their religion? While these points have general applicability, they are particularly important in understanding how the immigrant and second generation’s religious experiences in the U.S. may affect its connections with India in the future.