Indo-Canadian

Indo-Canadians are Canadians whose origin traces back to the nation of India. The term Indian is not commonly used to describe people of ancestral origin from India since it has been used in the past and present to refer to the Aboriginals of Canada. The term East Indian is also used to distinguish people of ancestral origin from India from people from the Caribbean, since they are sometimes referred to as West Indian. Most Indo-Canadians prefer, and many times will refer to themselves, as Indians more than East Indians. This is partially because many of them are immigrants who are used to being referred to as the internationally-used term. However, because the term East Indian is not pejorative and is in widespread use in Canada, this term is accepted by Indo-Canadians. Another term, NRI (non-resident Indian), is used by Indians in India to refer to Indians abroad, including Canada. According to Statistics Canada in 2001, there were 713,330 people who consider themselves as being Indo-Canadians 1. The main concentration of the Indo-Canadian population is centred in the Greater Vancouver Area and the Greater Toronto Area, however there are growing communities in Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal 2.

History

Reasons for moving

The Indo-Canadian community started around the beginning of the twentieth century. The pioneers were men, mostly Sikhs from the Punjab; many were veterans of the British Army. In 1897 a contingent of Sikh soldiers participated in the parade to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in London, England. On their subsequent journey home, they visited the western coast of Canada, primarily British Columbia which at the time was very sparsely populated and the Canadian government wanted to settle in order to prevent a takeover of the territory by the United States.

Upon retiring from the army, some of these men found their pensions to be inadequate, or else their lands in the clutches of money-lenders. They decided to try their fortunes in the countries they had visited. They joined an Indian diaspora, which included people from Burma through Malaya, the East Indies, the Philippines and China. They were able to get work in the police force and some were employed as night-watchmen by British firms. Others started small businesses of their own or drove taxis. These were modest beginnings but they had bigger ideas. At that time thousands of Chinese and Japanese migrants were going to Canada and the United States and sending substantial sums of money back to their families at home. The Sikhs, who had seen Canada, recommended the New World to fellow Sikh people who were in a position to venture out and seek new fortunes. They were guaranteed jobs by agents of big Canadian combines like the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Hudson Bay Company. Overcoming their initial reluctance to go to these countries due to the treatment of Orientals by the white population, many young men chose to go, having been assured that they would not meet the same fate. They were British subjects; Canada was a part of the British Empire; and the British Empire owed much to the Sikhs. Queen Victoria had proclaimed in 1858 that throughout the empire the people of India that they would enjoy "equal privileges with white people without discrimination of colour, creed or race."

A group Sikh immigrants turned away from settling in Vancouver, BC circa 1914.

Initial settlement

However, upon arrival to British Columbia and Washington, the first Sikh immigrants faced widespread racism by the local white Canadians and Americans. Most of the white Canadians feared workers who desired less pay, and that an influx of more immigrants would threaten their jobs. As a result there were a series of race riots that targeted the Sikh immigrants, who were beat up by mobs of angry Canadians 3. These mobs not only targeted Indians, but also other Asian group such as the Chinese immigrants working on the railroad at the time. From the social pressure most decided to return back to India, while a few stayed behind. To support the white Canadian population on the west coast of Canada, who did not want Indians to immigrate to Canada, the Canadian government prevented Indian men from bringing their wives and children until 1919, which was another considerable factor why they decided to leave Canada 3.

The restrictions by the Canadian government increased on Indians, and policies were put in place in 1907 to prevent Indians who had the right to vote from voting in future general elections 3. Furthermore, government quotas were established to cap the number of Indians allowed to immigrate to Canada in the early 20th century. This was part of a policy adopted by Canada to ensure that the country retained its primarily European demographic, and was similar to American and Australian immigration policies at the time. These quotas only allowed fewer than 100 people from India a year until 1957, when it was marginally increased (to 300 people a year). In comparison to the quotas established for Indians, people from Europe immigrated freely without quotas in large numbers during that time to Canada, numbering in the tens of thousands yearly 3.

In 1914, the Komagata Maru a steam liner carrying 376 passengers from Punjab, India (all were British subjects) arrived in Vancouver. Most the passengers whom were not allowed to land in Canada and were returned to India. This was one of the most notorious "incidents" in the history of exclusion laws in Canada designed to keep out immigrants of Asian origin.

Recent settlement

Policies changed rapidly during the second half of the 20th century. The Canadian government re-enfranchised the Indo-Canadian community with the right to vote in 1947 3. In 1967 all immigration quotas based on specific ethnic groups were scrapped in Canada 3. The social view in Canada towards people of other ethnic backgrounds was more open, and Canada was facing declining immigration from European countries, since these European countries had booming postwar economies, and thus more people decided to remain in their home countries. Canada introduced an immigration policy that was based on a point system, with each applicant being assessed on their trade skills and the need for these skills in Canada. This allowed many more Indians to immigrate in large numbers. In the 1970s, thousands of immigrants came yearly and mainly settled in Vancouver and Toronto. In the 1980s and early 1990s, tens of thousands of immigrants continued to move from India into Canada. According to Statistics Canada, since the late 1990s roughly 25,000-30,000 Indians arrive each year (which is now the second-most populous cultural group immigrating to Canada each year, behind Chinese immigrants who are the largest group). The settlement pattern in the last two decades is still mainly focused around Toronto and Vancouver, but other cities such as Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal have also become desirable due to growing economic prospects in these cities.

Timeline of Immigration to Canada of Indo-Canadians (Source)

	Immigrant population	Before 1961	1961-1970	1971-1980	1981-1990	1991-1995	1996-2001	Non-permanent residents
713,330	228,855	474,530	2,715	32,040	113,975	111,270	96,180	118,345	9,950

This is adapted from the 2001 census conducted by Statistics Canada

Indians moving to Canada from other countries

Number of Indians Immigrating from Different Regions of the World (source)
Religion	Total Responses
Immigrant population	474,530
United Statesʰ	2,410
Central and South America	40,475
Caribbean and Bermuda	24,295
Europe	12,390
**United Kingdom	11,200
**Other European	1,190
Africa	45,530
Asia	332,150
**West Central Asia and the Middle East	6,965
**Eastern Asia	720
**South-East Asia	4,260
**South Asia	320,200
Oceania and other	17,280
Non-permanent residents	9,950

Indians from Africa

Although the vast majority of Indo-Canadians are either recent immigrants from India, or second and third generation Indo-Canadians, there are groups of Indo-Canadians that have moved from other parts of the world. In the 1970s, 50,000 Indian Ugandans were forced out of Uganda by Idi Amin, and were not permitted to resettle back in India by the Indian government. As a result, most opted to settle in the UK or Canada. Many of the Indian immigrants from Uganda are of Ismaili background. Indians in recent years have also moved from other African nations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa due to political turmoil and prejudice against Indians in these countries. Suhana Meharchand is a television newscaster of Indian descent from South Africa, who currently works for the CBC.

Indians from the Caribbean and South America

There is a significant immigrant population of Indians and people of Indian descent from Trinidad and Tobago as well as Guyana also known as Indo-Trinidadian and Indo-Guyanese respectively (This branch of the Indian Diaspora is distinct in ethnicity and culture from the various indigenous South American Native populations). The Indo-Caribbean community has developed a unique cultural blend of both Indian, Western and Black culture due to a long period of isolation from India, and thus some members either associate themselves primarily with the Indo-Canadian community, solely with the Caribbean community, or with both. They mainly live within the Greater Toronto Area. One notable celebrity from this community is Ian Hanomansing, a long-time news host and writer with the CBC.

Indians from the UK and America

Some Indians have immigrated from the UK and America due to both economic and family reasons. Indians move for economic prospects to Canada's economy and job market has been performing well against many European and some American states. Indians move also due to arranged marriages that are carried out by families or by internet-based matrimonial websites, or by non-arranged marriages. Lastly, individuals have decided to settle in Canada in order to reunite their family who may have settle in both America and UK and not in Canada.

Indians from the Middle East

Many Indians have been moving from countries in the Middle East to North America. These individuals are mainly Indian-born male workers who engaged in contract employment in the Middle East, and thereafter used the opportunity as a stepping-stone in a permanent move to a Western country such as Canada.

Indians from Oceania

Indians have long been settled in certain parts of Oceania, mainly on the island of Fiji, where they compromise approximately 50% of the island's population. Since Fiji's independence, increased hostility between the native Fijian population and the Indo-Fijian population has led to several significant confrontations politically. Therefore, some Indo-Fijians are moving from the island due to political instability and ethnic conflict.

Indo-Canadian demographics

Population settlement

According to Statistics Canada in the 2001 census, the top 10 cities in which Indo-Canadians reside:
*1. Greater Toronto Area (Indo Canadian pop. 345,855)
*2. Greater Vancouver Area (Indo Canadian pop. 142,060)
*3. Montreal (Indo Canadian pop. 32,370)
*4. Calgary (Indo Canadian pop. 31,580)
*5. Edmonton (Indo Canadian pop. 26,120)
*6. Ottawa (Indo Canadian pop. 17,505)
*7. Winnipeg (Indo Canadian pop. 11,520)
*8. Hamilton (Indo Canadian pop. 11,290)
*9. Kitchener (Indo Canadian pop. 10,335)
*10. Victoria (Indo Canadian pop. 5 335)Refer to reference 2

Toronto

Settlement in Toronto by Indians has occurred increasingly since the point system was introduced to allow immigrants into Canada. Initially, most Indians moved to areas close to Pearson International Airport such as Malton and Brampton in the Northwest of Toronto, the East End in Scarborough and Markham, and mid and west ends of the city such as in East York, North York and Etobicoke. Over the past two decades however, more Indians have been moving to areas outside of Toronto, such as in Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington in the west, and Richmond Hill in the north.

The highest density concentrations of Indo-Canadians can be found in Brampton/Mississauga and Scarborough/Markham.

Toronto's little India can be found on Gerrard Street East, which is also referred to as Gerrard India Bazaar. Here there are many shops with Indian and other South Asian related items for sale such as Indian clothing, Bollywood movies, and Restaurants.

Toronto's Indo Canadian community is fairly diverse and includes people primarily of Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Keralite, Bengali, and Sindhi ethnic backgrounds.

Vancouver

The settlement of Indo-Canadians in Vancouver can be evidenced throughout the city, however the largest concentrations are primarily found within the suburb of Surrey. Most Indo-Canadians within Vancouver are of Sikh Punjabi origin. The little India in Vancouver is located in Punjabi Market.

Religion

Indo-Canadian Religious profile (source)
Religion	Total Responses	Single responses	Multiple responses
Total population by religion	713,330	581,665	131,665
Sikh	239,225	217,805	21,425
Hindu	192,680	174,455	18,225
Muslim	124,650	101,015	23,635
Catholic	63,770	34,760	29,010
Protestant	37,010	19,500	17,505
Christian Orthodox	1,995	1,710	285
Christian, n.i.e.	14,655	9,515	5,145
Jewish	655	160	500
Buddhist	1,435	870	560
Eastern religions	5,875	4,785	1,090
Other religions	655	540	120
No religious affiliation	30,725	16,555	14,175

Indo-Canadians are from very diverse religious backgrounds compared to many other ethnics groups, which is due in part to India's multireligious population. Unlike in India however, representation of various minority religious groups is much higher amongst the Indo-Canadian population. For instance in India, Sikhs comprise 2% of the population of India, Hindus 80-82%, Muslims 13.4% and Christians 2.4%. Amongst the Indo-Canadian population however, Sikhs represent 33.5%, Hindus 27%, Muslims 17.5% and Christians 16.5%. This difference may be due to the fact that members of these religious minorities in India choose to actively immigrate to outside countries more so than the Hindu majority in India.

Places of worship

Indians have been building places of worship for their respective faiths since the first settlers arrived to Canada. There are well over 100 Sikh societies/Gurdwaras in Canada alone, and the same number of Hindu societies/temples as well. Hindu temples are usually established by separate Indian ethnic communities. For instance, there are separate temples for North and South Indians, due to different customs and languages spoken. There are also many Islamic societies and mosques throughout Canada, which have been established and supported by Non-Indian and Indian Muslims alike. Most Indian Christians do not have their own specific churches however, instead attending churches established previously by other Christian Canadians.

A renowned Sikh Gurdwara is located in Mississauga, which is called the Dixie Gurdwara. It is a fairly large complex compared to most other Gurdwaras across Canada, and even contains a sports ground behind the Gurdwara for playing kabadi. Similarly within Brampton, the largest Hindu temple in Canada is located on Gore Road, which is called the Hindu Sabha Mandir. The entire Mandir is 32,000 sq feet and hosts numerous events on the Hindu religious calendar. Many Indian and Pakistani Muslims worship at one of the largest mosques in Canada, the ISNA Centre, located in Mississauga. The facility contains a mosque, high school, community centre, banquet hall and funeral service available for all Muslim Canadians.

Language

Indian Languages Spoken at Home in Canada (source)
Language	Total: Language spoken at home	Only speaks	Mostly speaks	Equally speaks	Regularly speaks
Punjabiʰ	280,540	132,380	71,660	29,220	47,280
Gujarati	60,105	18,310	16,830	7,175	17,790
Hindi	65,890	14,175	16,075	9,090	26,550
Urduʰ	89,365	30,760	27,840	12,200	18,565
Tamilʰ	97,345	45,865	29,745	9,455	12,280
Malayalam	6,570	1,155	1,810	505	3,100
Bengaliʰ	29,705	12,840	9,615	2,780	4,470
ʰ Note that these languages are also spoken in Canada by immigrants from other South Asian countries such as: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Indo-Canadians speak a variety of languages, reflecting the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Indian subcontinent. The most widely spoken South Asian language is Punjabi, which is spoken by people Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh or Delhi in India. Some speakers of Punjabi in Canada may also be Pakistani and they come from Punjab Province in Pakistan. The next most widely spoken language spoken by South Asians is Tamil. These individuals hail from the state of Tamil Nadu in India, but most speakers in Canada of the Tamil language come from Sri Lanka. Urdu is primarily spoken by Muslim South Asians from North India and Pakistan, and is very similar to Hindi however it uses a modified Arabic script and contains many Arabic and Persian loan words. Hindi is a language mainly spoken by Indo-Canadians from across North India, however individuals of Indian descent from Africa and the Caribbean may also speak it as well. Hindi uses the Devanāgarī script and does not contain Persian or Arabic loan words. Gujarati is language spoken exclusively by people from the Indian state of Gujarat. Bengali is spoken by individuals from the state of West Bengal, as well as by the people of Bangladesh, and thus it is not exclusively spoken by Indo-Canadians in Canada, but also by Bangladeshis. Lastly, Malayalam is a language primarily spoken in Kerala.

Age

The majority of Indo-Canadians fall into an age range that is lower than that of other Canadian groups.

Age Breakdown of People of South Asian Origin

	15-24 years	25-34 years	35-44 years	45-54 years	55-64 years	65 years and over
917,075	228,345	139,810	161,875	148,595	110,880	71,855	55,720

This table is adapted from the 2001 Census conducted by Statistics Canada. Note that it includes all people residing in Canada whose origin traces back to the Indian Subcontinent.

Income

Income characteristics of Indo-Canadians Source

Total population 15 years and over ¦¦ Total Responses
Without income	44,110
With income	503,590
Under $5,000	86,110
$5,000 - $9,999	59,570
$10,000 - $19,999	107,995
$20,000 - $29,999	77,420
$30,000 - $39,999	61,050
$40,000 - $49,999	39,820
$50,000 - $59,999	25,135
$60,000 and over	46,490
Average income $	27,023
Median income $	19,683

Adapted from Census 2001 by Statistics Canada

Education

Highest level of schooling of Indo-Canadians Source

Title ¦¦ Total Responses
Total population 15 years and over	547,705
Less than high school graduation certificate	155,605
High school graduation certificate only	69,030
Some postsecondary education	67,590
Trades certificate or diploma	36,155
College certificate or diploma	59,765
University certificate or diploma below bachelor's degree	16,915
University degree	142,645
--Bachelor's degree	92,775
--University certificate above bachelor's degree	12,195
--Master's degree	32,165
--Earned doctorate	5,505

Adapted from the 2001 census by Statistics Canada

Indo-Canadian culture

A young Indo-Canadian woman performing Bhangra dancing

Indo-Canadian culture is closely linked to each specific Indian group's religious and ethnic backgrounds. For instance, Hindu Punjabi's cultural practices differ compared to Hindu Gujurati's and Sikh Punjabi's due to either the difference in ethnicity or religion. Such cultural aspects have been preserved fairly well due to Canada's open policy of multiculturalism, as opposed to a policy of assimilation practiced by the United States and the United Kingdom.

The cultures and languages of various Indian communities have been able to thrive in part due to the freedom of these communities to establish structures and institutions for religious worship, social interaction and cultural practices. In particular, Punjabi culture and language have been reinforced in Canada through radio and television.

Alternatively, Indo-Canadian culture has developed its own identity compared to other non-resident Indians and from people in India. It is not uncommon to find youth disinterested with traditional Indian cultural elements and events, instead identifying with mainstream North American cultural mores. However such individuals exist in a minority and there are many youth that maintain a balance between western and eastern cultural values, and occasionally fusing the two to produce a new product, such as the new generation of Bhangra incorporating hip hop based rhythm. For instance, Sikh youth often mix in traditional Bhangra, which uses Punjabi instruments with hip hop beats. as well as including rap with Black music entertainers. Notable entertainers include Raghav and Jazzy Bains.

The concept of dating is mainly a North American practice, which has been adopted by the Indo-Canadian community as well as casual talk of sex and the practicing of premarital sex. The empowerment of Indo-Canadian women who often work as much as Indo-Canadian men and have the same rights, compared to their counterparts in India, is also due to the presence of being raised within North America. Indo-Canadian women primarily wear western clothing, and are able to show their body more freely in Canada, which is often still socially unacceptable by commoners in India, and thus a product of being raised in North America as well. The use of Canadian/American slang by Indo-Canadians is also a product of the preexisting culture, and differs from those Indians who live in the UK, India or any other part of the world.

Some Indo-Canadian youths have become recently involved in the "thug life" as popularized by African-American rapper Tupac Shakur. "Gangland style" slayings and shootings are becoming more common in the Indo-Canadian community. Bhupinder (Bindy) Singh Johal was an icon of "Punjabi thug life" before he was murdered in December, 1998.[1] There have been "dozens" of murders in the Indo-Canadian community related to gang activities.[2]

In Canada, specifically Vancouver, Indo Canadians are well known for violence, usually towards each other. So far they have killed 74 of their own people. The Indo Canadians act as puppets for the Hells Angels and get their supplies for "dial-a-dope" operations from them. The Government has set up a specific task force to deal with this problem. Although these Indo Canadian Gangsters do earn money, they typically stay living with their Parents'

Television and radio

There are numerous radio programs that represent Indo-Canadian culture. One notable program is Geetmala radio, hosted by Darshan and Arvinder Sahota (also longtime television hosts of Indo-Canadian program, Eye on Asia).

A number of Canadian television networks broadcast programming that features Indo-Canadian culture. One prominent multicultural/multireligious channel, Vision TV, presents a nonstop marathon of Indo-Canadian shows on Saturdays. These television shows often highlight Indo-Canadian events in Canada, and also show events from India involving Indians who reside there. In addition, other networks such as Omni Television, CityTV and local Cable access channels also present local Indo-Canadian content, and Indian content from India.''

In recent years, there has been an establishment of Indian television networks from India on Canadian Television. Shan Chandrasehkhar, an established Indo-Canadian who pioneered the one of the first Indo-Canadian television shows in Canada, made a deal with the CRTC to allow Indian television networks based in India to send a direct feed to Canada. In doing so, he branded these channels under his own company known as the Asian Television Network. Since 1997, Indo-Canadians can subscribe to channels from India via purchasing TV channel packages from their local satellite/cable companies. Indo-Canadians view such networks as Zee TV, B4U, Sony Entertainment Television, and Aaj Tak to name a few.

Although Indo-Canadians are privileged to have many television shows and programs available to them to watch, there is a lack of representation of Indo-Canadians on Canadian television as a whole, which is similar to the case of Hispanic Americans on American television. Indo-Canadians make up roughly 3% of the population, yet they are hardly visible on any major Canadian television network shows as characters or even on television commercials compared to other ethnic groups such as Chinese and Black Canadians, who make up a similar percentage of the Canadian population. Indians in the UK on the other hand make up a similar proportion of the population in the UK, but have increased representation on such shows as East Enders and Coronation Street.

Marriage

Arranged and non-arranged marriage

A group of Indo-Canadians attending an Indian wedding reception.

Marriage is an important cultural element amongst many Indo-Canadians, due to their Indian heritage and religious background. Arranged marriage - which is still widely practiced in India - is practiced in Canada widely as well, but to a lesser extent. Marriages are sometimes still arranged by parents within their specific caste/Indian ethnic community. Sometimes however, it may be difficult to find someone of the same Indian ethnic background with desired characteristics, and thus people now opt to use matrimonial services such as shaadi.com in order to find a marriage partner. Marriage practices amongst Indo-Canadians are more liberal than their Indian counterparts, with caste only sometimes considered, and dowry almost non-existent.

Marriage does also occur commonly by "love", which means the partners choose themselves rather than have their parents arrange the marriage. Dating is practiced among many Indo-Canadians, but it is not as prevalent compared to other Canadians because some families maintain traditional Indian values.

Cross-cultural and interracial marriage

The phenomenon of cross-cultural and interracial marriage has been present in Canada for some years, however the Indo-Canadian community rarely engages in it compared to other immigrant groups such as Oriental Asians, and Black Canadians (see the Table below).

Table of number of biracial (White and other) people for various ethnic groups in CanadaSource

Ethnic Group ¦¦ Total People Solely Belonging this Ethnic Group>	'''Total people belonging to this Ethnic Group and White (Biracial)	Percentage Biracial
Chinese	990,385	39,010	3.82%
Black	593,335	68,880	10.40%
South Asian (including Indo-Canadian)	896,225	20,845	2.27%
Arab	194,680	39,555	16.88%
Latin American	216,980	35,795	14.16%
Japanese	55,880	17,430	23.77%
Filipino	293,940	14,635	4.53%
West Asian	109,285	8,695	7.37%

Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2001

The reason why many South Asians, including Indo-Canadians, do not marry outside their community is due to the presence of strong cultural links and family pressure. It is often unacceptable for even some liberal Indo-Canadians to have their children marry outside their community. However, cross cultural and interracial marriages do exist.

Cross cultural marriages are those that occur between Indo-Canadians and other South Asians which differ in their ethnic background (as in Punjabi or Gujurati), or by religious background. These types of marriages - especially those between different ethnic backgrounds - does occur more often than those between different religions, with the exception between Hindu and Sikh, since many Punjabis of both backgrounds may intermarry with one another.

Interracial marriages amongst Indo-Canadians mainly occur between a White Canadian and an Indian, and is rarely seen between an Indian and a person of another race such as Black or Asian. These marriages occurred more so when initial Indians settled in Canada, isolated from Indian culture and community, or when Indo-Canadians live in a community with few other Indians. Notable celebrities of biracial (Indian and White background) are Emanuel Sandhu, Lisa Ray and Shaun Majumder.

Notable Indo-Canadians, past and present

Actors and directors

*Deepa Mehta - film director (Bollywood/Hollywood, Fire, Water)
*Lisa Ray - Bollywood actress (Kasoor, Bollywood/Hollywood, Water'')

Athletes

*Emanuel Sandhu - figure skater
*Manny Malhotra - Plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL

Entertainers

* Nirmala Basnayake - rock singer (controller.controller)
* Shaun Majumder - Just for Laughs, This Hour Has 22 Minutes
* Russell Peters - Stand-up Comedian
* Raghav R&B/desi singer
* Ashwin Sood - drummer for (and husband of) Sarah McLachlan
* Renee Rosnes - jazz pianist and composer/arranger

Politicians and activists

*Bharat Agnihotri - Alberta Liberal MLA
*Hardial Bains - founder and leader of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada from 1970-1997
*Harry Bains - British Columbia New Democratic MLA
*Navdeep Bains - Liberal Member of Parliament
*Jagrup Brar - British Columbia NDP MLA
*Gulzar Singh Cheema - Manitoba and British Columbia MLA
*Raj Chouhan - British Columbia NDP MLA
*Herb Dhaliwal - Liberal MP and the first Indo-Canadian cabinet minister
*Ruby Dhalla - Liberal MP
*Vic Dhillon - Ontario Liberal MPP
*Ujjal Dosanjh - former Premier of British Columbia, the first Indo-Canadian premier, former federal Minister of Health, and current National Defence Critic
*Raminder Gill - former Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP and federal Conservative candidate
*Gurmant Grewal - former Conservative MP, half (with Nina, listed below) of the first married couple to serve as MPs in the same session of Parliament
*Nina Grewal - Conservative MP, half (with Gurmant) of the first married couple to serve as MPs in the same session of Parliament
*Chander P. Grover - scientist and human rights activist
*Bidhu Jha - Manitoba NDP MLA
*Wajid Khan - Ontario Liberal MP
*Kuldip Singh Kular - Ontario Liberal MPP
*Harry Lali - BC NDP MLA
*Gurbax Singh Malhi - Liberal MP
*Rob Nijjar - former BC Liberal MLA
*Moe Sihota - former British Columbia NDP MLA and television host
*Deepak Obhrai - Alberta Conservative MP
*Raj Pannu - former leader of the Alberta New Democrats, the first Indo-Canadian leader of a political party
*Patty Sahota - former BC Liberal MLA
*Shiraz Shariff - Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA
*Jaggi Singh - anti-globalization activist
*Harinder Takhar - Ontario Liberal MPP and Minister of Transportation
*Murad Velshi - former Ontario Liberal MPP

Writers and journalists

*Anita Rau Badami - novelist
*Shauna Singh Baldwin - novelist
*Monika Deol - former MuchMusic host and CIVT news anchor
*Tara Singh Hayer - newspaper publisher
*Ian Hanomansing - CBC journalist
*Rohinton Mistry - novelist
*Ajmer Rode - poet and playwright
*Haroon Siddiqui - reporter, editor and columnist
*Priscilla Uppal - novelist and poet
*M.G. Vassanji - novelist (of Indian descent, although born and raised in Kenya)
*Jas Johal - CTV journalist
*Sarika Sehgal- CBC Canadian broadcast journalist
*Ali Velshi - stock analyst and television journalist

Other

*Sudi Devanesen - physician and member of the Order of Canada
*John Dossetor - physician and bioethicist, member of the Order of Canada
*Shuman Ghosemajumder - businessman and computer scientist
*S Gary Bajaj - businessman and Internet professional

Films with Indo-Canadian subject matter

Masala (film) (imdb)Canadian-Indian film
Bollywood/Hollywood
*Tum Bin... Love Will Find a Way (2001) IMDb

References and external links

*¹Number of people according to Ethnic Origin in Canada look under the term "East Indian" in the chart
*²Ethnic Origin breakdown by Census Metropolitan Area (city over 100,000) (choose desired city in the left column and look under the term "East Indian" in the chart)
*³Statistics Canada chart on Languages spoken at home
*Statistics Canada Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Information. Detailed Tables of the ones included in the Demographics section of this article. "Look under East Indian or South Asian in the Tables"
*Explorasian - History of Sikh Canadians
*Little India's publication on Indo-Canadians "The other Indian Americans." Information regarding the cultural and demographic aspects of Indo-Canadians.
* "Indo-Canadian Mixed Marriage," Context and Dilemmas By: Jacqueline A. Gibbons
* "The Punjabi Hindu Family in Ontario," A Study in Adaptation By: Saroj Chawla
*Dixie Gurdwara website
*Number and Addresses of Sikh Gurdwaras in Canada
*Hindu Sabha Mandir website
* GaramChai directory information on Indo-Canadian Society (Yellowpages type listings)
*Hindu Temples in Canada
*Islamic Society of North America (Canada)'s website
*Asian Television Network

Indo-Canadian: Encyclopedia BETA

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