Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006. / Title from title page screen, viewed on May 3, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Charles Harris (chair), Ronald Strickland, Wail Hassan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 325-346) and abstract. Also available in print.

This study used a qualitative descriptive case study approach (Yin, 1994) to examine the influences on Sikh Indo-Canadian student selection of entering the applied social sciences at the university level. Seven students in the last two years of their undergraduate academic program participated in the study. The study examined (a) factors that had affected their academic and career path, (b) their perception of supports and barriers in pursuing their academic and career choice, and (c) and how they managed barriers. An analysis was conducted using the social cognitive career theory of Lent, Hackett, and Betz (1994) as a theoretical base to understand the process by which Sikh Indo-Canadian young women made career decisions to enter the applied social sciences. Across the sample of participants', personal factors, such as interests and various forms of learning experiences, were cited as significant in forming an individual's career choices. Contextual factors, such as norms held by the family and ethnic community, and requirements of academic institutions, were cited as potential impediments to career choice implementation but were seen as manageable by the participants. Self-efficacy played an important role in moderating the participants' view of contextual factors and their ability to create various strategies of resistance or coping strategies to maintain their career choice. The educational decisions of these young women were influenced by factors such as parental influence, cultural expectations, and considering marriage and family plans. Salient findings of the study in support of the social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) that applied to all the young women were that early immersion with helping people within their ethnic community contributed to their current career interest. Based on early exposure to helping others within their ethnic community, the participants felt confident with exploring their interest helping people in settings outside of their ethnic community. The participants also had developed outcome expectations of making a personal, social and societal contribution through their work. The longer the young women persisted in the field their sense of self-efficacy grew and they would set higher outcome expectations for themselves. They also believed that their career choice was a reflection of their fate. Findings from this study that were contrary to the social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) were that despite contextual influences in the educational system, family and ethnic community to engage in their career choice being perceived as not fully supportive, they still persisted in their career choice. The social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) suggested that if contextual influences were perceived as low, the individual's commitment to pursuing that career goal would also be low. In this study, the participants' planning behaviour and career choice goals were maintained despite the barriers that participants perceived. Lent et al. also posited that a lack of role models in the field would contribute to having lower levels of self-efficacy. In the study, having a lack of Indo-Canadian role models in the field did not have an effect on their sense of self-efficacy to do well in their chosen line of work. Future studies are required to address how Sikh Indo-Canadian young women conceptualize fate, balance career, family, and marriage expectations, and make life-career decisions after completion of their academic program upon entrance into the world of work. / Graduate

This study was designed to elicit Indo-Canadian women immigrants' experience of childbearing. Health care professionals do not know enough about the childbearing experiences of this cultural group. This may lead to conflicts and discrepancies of viewpoints between clients and professionals which may result in nurses providing care that is not perceived as relevant by the individual. This study was directed by the following questions: What are Indo-Canadian women's beliefs about childbearing? What are their perceptions of their traditional practices, in their ethnic community, surrounding childbearing? What are the western health care resources utilized by the women during childbearing? How are these western health care resources perceived by the women? Phenomenology, a qualitative research methodology, was used in this study. Data were collected through a series of indepth interviews with eight women. The initial audiotaped interviews were guided by the research questions and addressed the women's perceptions of their childbearing experiences. The data were comprised of the accounts given by the women in these interviews. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously throughout the study. Analytic material was thus used to focus and clarify the ongoing construction of accounts. The women described very different childbearing experiences. Dissimilarities in the phenomena under investigation were more evident than similarities and were attributed to the concept of acculturation. Two themes emerged from the data: the subjects' relationships with their families and the subjects' relationships with health care professionals. Each theme affected and was affected by the concept of acculturation. Influencing factors within the two themes were respect, authority, lack of knowledge and, in the case of the family, shyness. Perceived discrimination was an influencing factor in the subjects' relationships with post-partum hospital nurses. This study concluded that dissimilarities in the childbearing experiences of Indo-Canadian immigrant women are attributable to the process of acculturation; and that the women's childbearing experiences are located within a broader context of meanings associated with the reproductive cycle. The subjects' relationships with their families and with health care professionals are significant aspects of their childbearing experiences and are influenced by authority, respect, lack of knowledge and shyness. Discrimination is perceived by the women in relation to the post-partum hospital nurses. These conclusions have implications for nursing practice, research and education. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

This thesis studies the history of the National Associations of Canadians of Origins in India (NACOI) and its role in helping to shape and impact federal policy relating to immigration reform and multicultural policy in Canada. Ethnic political associations in Canada have a long and extensive history of impacting federal policy. However, the role of NACOI has been underreported when looking into the history of South Asian political advocacy in Canada. The institutionalization of multicultural policy created a framework for ethnic associations to discuss issues that mattered to them. NACOI’s establishment in 1976, five years after multiculturalism became government policy, allowed it to take the helm of these new discussions. Furthermore, NACOI is significant because it represents one of the first attempts to create an organization that aimed to federate all South Asian groups under one umbrella with a solely political goal. This thesis aims to understand whether NACOI was successful in its endeavours to impact federal policy as well as which struggles led to the decline of the organization. Alongside these questions, this thesis also seeks to explore whether NACOI aided in the integration of East Indians in Canada by the mid-1970s to the early 1990s through their efforts as a political advocacy group. Using NACOI’s quarterly publications, published material produced by the group, internal reports, and interviews with some of the founding members of the organization, this thesis also attempts to provide a micro-history of the organization by detailing its formation, growth and eventual dissolution by the early 1990s.

Exploring the theme of Diaspora, this paper is an accompanying document for the documentary, A Dream Lost in Dream. It sheds light on the purpose, and process of producing this documentary. The main purpose for the production of this documentary has been described as initiation of healthy and casual dialog between diverse populations in America. It emphasizes the importance of creating visual media targeting masses rather than the elite. It is argued that it can act as a tool of awareness, reducing anxiety in the society. It also embarks on the production journey of the documentary A Dream Lost in Dream. The film is a portrayal of an East Indian immigrant struggling between economic survival, family issues and passion to fly.

The United States is increasingly populated by first- and second-generation Asian immigrants, while nearly 40% of New York State minors live with at least one immigrant parent. Immigration is a politically-charged topic. There is a persistent lacuna regarding immigration in teacher education, despite the fact that teachers’ attitudes about immigration impact how they teach about immigration and immigrants. Yet, discussions about diversifying the profession rarely move beyond race or include transnationalism or religion. When immigrant teacher voices are amplified, the focus is often on first-generation immigrants’ struggles with acculturation and English language acquisition. Teaching for inclusion and social justice seldom recognizes or incorporates the knowledges of second-generation immigrant teachers. This study is theoretically grounded in transnational feminism, transnational literacy, and decoloniality; it recognizes the United States as an imperialist, settler colonial nation that promotes and forces its image upon other countries and people from other countries, often in the name of multiculturalism, justice, and humanitarianism. Most Indian Americans are not Christian (in contrast to the majority of immigrants from East Asia); this gave significant cause to disaggregate the category of Asian American and discover if the transnational consciousness of second-generation Indian American teachers might offer unique insights into the intersection of immigration, immigrant experiences, and inclusive education. Four New York City-based teachers volunteered to participate in the study. Data was collected over the course of seven months in one-on-one interviews, group dinners, and in a private WhatsApp group. The teachers articulated asset-based views on immigrants, with an emic understanding of the factors that animate acculturation and resistance to assimilation. Their experiences and knowledges were embedded within transnational social fields that were locally grounded. The participants’ transnational consciousness illuminated dominant epistemic norms in school, media, and society, including: individualism; monotheistic, Christian epistemic normativity; and a persistent colonial gaze on Hinduism and India. None of the participants had explored their immigrant knowledges as a part of their teacher education experiences. The study indicates that further engagement with the knowledges and transnational consciousness of second-generation immigrant teachers would enrich teacher education practices and research, and theorizing about social justice education.

This study attempts to explain the uneven treatment of Chinese, Japanese and East Indian ethnic minorities in British Columbia in terms of the social, economic and political conditions produced by the development may be discerned. In the first stage, ethnic relations between Asian and European immigrants were ‘cordial’ as employers welcomed relatively cheap Asian labour in an expanding colonial economy. Later, wide spread antagonisms developed between European and Asian workers as capitalists in coal mining, railway construction, fishing and forestry industries began to replace higher priced labour with Asian immigrants in order to increase profit. As state capitalism and the greater regulation and control of the labour process came about in the early 1900's, a new phase of ethnic relations was inaugurated with organized labour increasing its efforts to include minorities in trade unions and broader social reforms. It is maintained that current theories of West Coast ethnic antagonisms and racial prejudice do not explain this complex history because of their tendency to reify social processes and to assign blame for racism and ethnic antagonisms to; 1) irrational psychological fears arising from cultural diversity, 2) the utilitarian and economic motives of dominant ethnic groups and finally, 3) European racial ideologies. / Graduate

No description available.

The East India Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially opened in 1851, with the arrival of Elder Joseph Richards from England. He baptized several people, the most important of whom were James Patric Meik and his family, Maurice White, and Matthew McCune and his family. The Meiks and the McCunes contributed a great deal of service to the Church in Calcutta and Rangoon. Both of these families eventaully immigrated to Utah. Elder Richards left Calcutta after a few months there and before his return some months later, was preceeded by Elder William Willes. Willes labored in Calcutta and then on the return of Elder Richards from England, the two men carried the Gospel to Agra and the Upper Provinces.In April of 1853, these two men were joined by thirteen Elders from America, four of whom were sent to Siam. Thus the total number of official missionaries that were sent to the East India Mission was fifteen. Elders Meik and McCune were local converts, but did act as missionaries.