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In 1987, the Asian Indian community of Jersey City, New Jersey, became the target of racial violence. People were beaten, and property vandalized. Kaushal Saran suffered permanent brain damage, and Navroze Mody died of injuries. The attackers were called "dotbusters" (a reference to the dot, or bindi, worn by Hindu women on their foreheads), and they vowed to drive all Asian Indians (called "dotheads") out of the area by violence. Local officials were slow to prosecute. Some Indian community leaders blamed New Jersey officials, calling them clannish and indifferent, while others feared that denouncing the authorities’ apathy as racism would link them with despised minority groups.

SIGNIFICANCE: The roughly 4.8 million people of Asian Indian origin or descent living in the United States have contributed significantly to their adopted nation. The Asian Indian community contains a large proportion of well-educated, affluent, and highly motivated people.