Bengali American
Encyclopedia
Bengali Americans are Americans
who can trace their ancestry to the region of Bengal
in South Asia. This region comprises the Indian state of West Bengal
and the country Bangladesh
. Bengalis form a heterogeneous ethnic group which shares a common language and a similar culture. In the United States, Bengalis often fall under the broader category of Indian American
or, even more broadly, South Asian American. Bengali Americans can be further subdivided into Bangladeshi American
s and Bengali Hindus, although these two terms can overlap. Large communities reside in most major metropolitan areas of the United States, including those of New York City
, New Jersey
, Los Angeles
, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago
, Miami, and Dallas.
, in order to celebrate their culture and discuss issues the community faces. They often form regional organizations to network and plan events.
or Islam
. This is manifested in the yearly celebration of Durga Puja
, Eid ul-Fitr
, and other religious celebrations. Several secular holidays are also enjoyed by the whole community, such as the Bengali new year, Pohela Boishakh.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
who can trace their ancestry to the region of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
in South Asia. This region comprises the Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and the country Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Bengalis form a heterogeneous ethnic group which shares a common language and a similar culture. In the United States, Bengalis often fall under the broader category of Indian American
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
or, even more broadly, South Asian American. Bengali Americans can be further subdivided into Bangladeshi American
Bangladeshi American
Bangladeshi Americans are Americans of Bangladeshi descent. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi Americans are Bengalis. Most of them have immigrated from Sylhet region with a long trading history. Bangladeshi immigrants arrived in the United States especially since the early 1990s to become...
s and Bengali Hindus, although these two terms can overlap. Large communities reside in most major metropolitan areas of the United States, including those of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Miami, and Dallas.
Culture
Many Bengali Americans participate in an annual conference, the North American Bengali ConferenceNorth American Bengali Conference
The North American Bengali Conference is an annual conference held in North America to celebrate Bengali culture. It is usually held around the weekend of, preceding or following July 4. It was one of the first annual conferences for people of South Asian descent in North America...
, in order to celebrate their culture and discuss issues the community faces. They often form regional organizations to network and plan events.
Religions
Bengali Americans are mostly adherents of either HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
or Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. This is manifested in the yearly celebration of Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
, Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
, and other religious celebrations. Several secular holidays are also enjoyed by the whole community, such as the Bengali new year, Pohela Boishakh.
Notable People
Many Bengali Americans have contributed much to the larger American culture:- A.K. Mozumdar, first person of South Asian descent to earn US citizenship, until it was revoked by the Supreme Court in 1924
- Tarak Nath DasTarak Nath DasTaraknath Das was an anti-British Bengali Indian revolutionary and internationalist scholar. He was a pioneering immigrant in the west coast of North America and discussed his plans with Tolstoy, while organizing the Asian Indian immigrants in favor of the Indian freedom movement...
, anti-British Bengali Indian revolutionary and internationalist scholar - Dhan Gopal MukerjiDhan Gopal MukerjiDhan Gopal Mukerji was the first successful Indian man of letters in the United States and winner of Newbery Medal 1928...
, first South Asian winner of Newbery Medal in 1928 - Fazlur KhanFazlur KhanFazlur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi born architect and structural engineer. He is a central figure behind the "Second Chicago School" of architecture, and is regarded as the "Father of tubular design for high-rises"...
, architect who designed the John Hancock CenterJohn Hancock CenterJohn Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
and the Willis Tower - Hansen ClarkeHansen ClarkeHansen Hashim Clarke is the U.S. Representative for . Clarke, a Democrat, was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1991 through 1992, and from 1999 through 2002. He then served in the Michigan Senate, representing the 1st District from January 1, 2003 to January 3, 2011. Clarke...
, member of the House of Representative - Jawed KarimJawed KarimJawed Karim is a Bangladeshi German American technologist and co-founder of the popular video sharing website YouTube...
, co-founder of Youtube - Amar BoseAmar BoseAmar Gopal Bose is an Bengali American electrical engineer, sound engineer and billionaire entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of Bose Corporation...
, founder of Bose Corporation - Salman KhanSalman Khan (educator)Salman Amin 'Sal' Khan is an American educator and the founder of the Khan Academy, a free online education platform and nonprofit organization....
, educator and founder of Khan AcademyKhan AcademyThe Khan Academy is a not-for-profit educational organization, created in 2006 by Bangladeshi American educator Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT. With the stated mission of "providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere", the website supplies a free online collection of more than 2,700 micro... - Norah JonesNorah JonesNorah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, singer and actress - Jhumpa LahiriJhumpa LahiriJhumpa Lahiri is a Bengali American author. Lahiri's debut short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies , won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and her first novel, The Namesake , was adapted into the popular film of the same name. She was born Nilanjana Sudeshna, which she says are both...
, author of The NamesakeThe NamesakeThe Namesake is the second book by author Jhumpa Lahiri. It was originally a novella published in The New Yorker and was later expanded to a full length novel. It explores many of the same emotional and cultural themes as her Pulitzer Prize-winning short story collection Interpreter of Maladies... - Ananda Mohan ChakrabartyAnanda Mohan ChakrabartyAnanda Mohan Chakrabarty , Ph.D. is an Bengali American microbiologist, scientist, and researcher, most notable for his work in directed evolution and his role in developing a genetically engineered organism using plasmid transfer while working at GE....
, scientist - Purnendu ChatterjeePurnendu ChatterjeePurnendu Chatterjee is a Bengali industrialist and entrepreneur. He is the Founder and Chairman of The Chatterjee Group and also serves as Executive Director to Indian School of Business in Hyderabad.- Education :...
, industrialist - Rajat GuptaRajat GuptaRajat Kumar Gupta was the managing director of management consultancy McKinsey & Company from 1994 to 2003 and a business leader in India and the United States...
, former CEO of McKinsey and Company