astated India from 1899 to 1902. Thus, large-scale immigration began in 1906, when six hundred Asians applied to enter the United States. They came here in hopes of changing their lives around. Unfortunately, they soon found out that life in America was very challenging. Many Indians were farmers back in India, but when they came to the United States they had to take jobs no one else would. They also encountered prejudice. Whites sometimes associated the Asian Indian immigrants with blacks, Chinese, or Japanese. Very often, Asian Indians were blamed for the violence directed towards them. Whites did no!
t want or try to understand Indian culture and traditions. The Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore (a winner of the Noble Prize in literature) traveled to North America. When he applied for entry to the United States, Tagore encountered difficulties and when he finally made it to the country, he experienced racial prejudice in Los Angeles. He cancelled his tour and returned to India, saying in disgust, "Jesus could not get into America because, first of all, he would not have the necessary money, and secondly, He would be an Asiatic." Despite of everything they encountered, the immigrants still believed that the life
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