Many people interviewed by WGLT say they’re eager for Indians to take the next step in representation – serving in elected positions – and are hopeful that historic barriers to those opportunities can be overcome.
The Asian Indian population has grown dramatically over the last decade in Bloomington-Normal, but they are still a minority. Many Indians say the community is welcoming, but not everyone has the same experiences.
This is the first part of a WGLT series looking at the Asian Indian community in Bloomington-Normal. There are nearly 6,000 Indians who live in the community. They are a group whose traditions and lives are not often presented to the public by mainstream media. It's a rich tapestry of people with all the nuance and complexity you would expect of a culture thousands of years old.