March 31 - Club Meeting

Today's meeting was a virtual one, with each of us using "Zoom" to connect from our homes.  Anoop Matur's wife Preeti agreed to help us with this experiment by being our speaker, discussing her recently published book:  "From Seven Rivers to Ten Thousand Lakes - Indian Americans in Minnesota".  Preeti came to the U.S. from India in 1978 and has lived in Shoreview since 1981. In addition to her roles as wife, mother and grandmother, Preeti has had a career as a technical writing and training consultant in the Twin Cities.  She noted that the number of Indian immigrants to the U.S. has increased sharply since her arrival and there are now over 40,000 in the Twin Cities alone.  This is a highly educated group - a majority of which are doctors, scientists, engineers and IT professionals.  Nearly all speak English fluently.  They have assimilated well but also remain in touch with important aspects of their culture and with family members back home.  Because of the large Indian population, there are many connections to their culture in the Twin Cities - Indian grocery stores, restaurants, theater and religious institutions.  Preeti and Anoop are great examples of the way in which many Indian Americans have contributed to our society - not only through their professional expertise but through philanthropy and volunteerism.