Beijing Carvel Case Study Essay Example For Students

Beijing Carvel Case Study Essay Carvel Beijing Question 1: SWOT Strengths| Weaknesses| * quality/taste of product * experienced American manager, combined with Chinese manager who understood the market * unique offerings of ice cream cakes in different shapes/designs| * disconnected management, and problems with the joint venture with New Continent * lack of brand awareness in Beijing * very high operating expenses * perception of Carvel as a purely â€Å"American† brand| Opportunities| Threats| market the product as a premium brand to differentiate and enter an untapped market in Beijing * New offers to imports vending carts and freezers much cheaper could help get around the imports taxes| * competition from other established Ice Cream companies, both local and American, that are cheaper * other typical Chinese treats sold cheaply on the street * other American companies in the market (McDonalds, etc) * lack of acceptance due to different cultural norms * Expensive tariffs on foreign imports made it very d ifficult to operate in China| Question 2: Business Challenges Price: The challenge facing Carvel Beijing in terms of the price of the products was whether they should price, and therefore position, their ice cream and cakes at a high, premium price, to demonstrate to their customers the value and quality of the product. Or, if they should price their product to compete with other ice cream companies already in Beijing who sell their product at a lower price, and therefore potentially attract more customers who may not be able to afford a premium-priced product. Product: There were two main challenges concerning the product itself. First, Carvel Beijing had to decide whether they would use their traditional American mix for the ice cream, or if they should use a less sweet mixture, which is more in keeping with Chinese tastes. Second, Carvel Beijing had to decide if they should use the same American designs, shapes and flavours, even though some of these were not familiar to Chinese consumers and did not sell well initially. Place: One of the main challenges in terms of place was which type of stores to set up to sell Carvel in Beijing. Initially, Carvel set up large stores resembling the American locations. However, these were expensive to set up and run and did not do well. Therefore, they had to downsize to smaller stores with no seating in food courts and department stores. They also had to decide whether or not they should sell in grocery stores, like they do in the United States. They had stores in high volume locations, such as the East Four, but needed to keep looking for more affordable locations as well. Promotion: One of the biggest challenges for Carvel Beijing was promotion. How they decided to promote and position their product would have a large impact on their success. Demadis felt that although the quality of the product was superior, he was lacking in the promotion area in Beijing, and needed to increase this greatly in order to improve brand awareness and positioning in the mind of the Chinese consumer. It would be a challenge to market correctly in a different cultural environment. Question 3: SMART Objectives: 1. Achieve trial, of either ice cream or cakes, by 40% of market in Beijing, by December 31st, 2005. 2. Achieve 30% market share of ice cream companies in Beijing by December 31st, 2006, to become the market leader. In order to achieve these objectives, Carvel Beijing will have to overcome the main marketing challenge, of establishing themselves as the choice for premium ice cream, in a market with different tastes and tendencies than the traditional American market. To overcome this, the American Carvel employees working in Beijing must listen carefully and take into account the advice of Phil Fang and the other local employees, who have a much deeper understanding of the Chinese consumer. Question 4: .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f , .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .postImageUrl , .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f , .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:hover , .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:visited , .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:active { border:0!important; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:active , .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4ecf291b9946ba0bea10dedeb820724f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Swot Analysis of Walmart EssayObjective 1: In order to achieve this objective, Carvel Beijing will need to overcome the notion that they are selling a purely American brand, as Phil Fang, the Taiwanese manager, did not feel that this would sell the product. Carvel must work to understand what makes Chinese consumers different from Americans and what compels them to buy. Knowing that quality is an extremely important factor, and not only price, will be integral to the marketing and brand-positioning plan of Carvel. Also, knowing that the majority of Chinese consumers are aware of American brands is a competitive advantage to be utilized. Finally, as their advertising plan dictates, Carvel Beijing must advertise fountain and novelty products in order to achieve trial and therefore push cake sales, as cakes have the highest margin. Objective 2: In order to achieve this objective, Carvel Beijing will need to leverage its competitive advantages against the other ice cream companies currently in the market in Beijing. This would be difficult, as Chinese consumers tended to favour companies that had been in the market longer, such as Bud’s and Walls. Carvel Beijing also considered Baskin-Robbins to be its main competition in Beijing, as they were its main competition in the United States. Although Carvel Beijing took market share away from Walls, it had yet to establish itself as the true front-runner in the ice cream market. By focusing on their superior quality as well as their product differentiation of flavours, cakes, and designs not offered by the other companies. By demonstrating to customers that their product is better and therefore worth paying more for, Carvel Beijing can also take market share from some of the lower end companies such as Meadow Gold. Carvel Beijing, however, must be careful not to cannibalize New Continent, which they have a joint venture with. Question 5: Marketing Programs Recommendation: Specific activities Carvel Beijing will need to focus on strengthening their brand in China. Providing free advertising blasts in busy locations will be a great way to gain exposure and meet potential customers. Carvel can set up booths and hand out small samples of their delicious products. This is allows you to connect with your target market on a personal basis and create brand awareness. Timelines Focus on promotion, advertising and opening in small stores, by October 31st, 2005. Achieve trial, of either ice cream or cakes, by 40% of market in Beijing, by December 31st, 2005. Achieve 30% market share of ice cream companies in Beijing by December 31st, 2006, to become the market leader. Budget In order to create a successful and strong marketing promotion and advertising plan and execute it, Carvel Beijing will need to invest some money. By December 31, 2005, Carvel Beijing should focus on a budget of 10,000?. This budget is sufficient enough to make important changes, and if spent correctly can help bring Carvel Beijing into the leading position of ice cream companies in Beijing.

Civil War Questions free essay sample

*Why did the South secede? Would the North have acquiesced in peaceful coexistence if the South had not fired on Fort Sumter? Today everyone says the reason the South left the Union was; Slavery. Slavery was not the only factor that led the South to secede. In fact, some of the wealthiest slaveholders opposed secession. They believed, for good reason, that slavery would actually be safer in the Union than out of it. Most people aren’t aware that, even as president, Lincoln supported a proposed constitutional amendment that would have guaranteed slavery’s continuation forever. Lincoln mentioned his support for this amendment in his first inaugural address. Another factor that led to the South seceding was the way the North Republicans and the way they voiced their feelings towards the south. I believe the North would have put up a protest towards the South, but nothing as big and bloody and unnecessary as what initially ended up happening between the states. We will write a custom essay sample on Civil War Questions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page *Compare and contrast the military strategies of the North and South as the war began. The Anaconda plan, proposed by General-in-Chief Winfield Scott, was strategically simplistic and of course tactically difficult to implement. It included controlling the Mississippi (which would split the Confederacy) and blockading the South to prevent exports (which would be used to pay for weapons). The main southern strategy was to defeat the attacking Union forces and force the northern states to negotiate. Later in the war, a slightly altered strategy was to take a major northern city, in order to force the north to negotiate terms favorable to the south. This led to the Battle of Gettysburg. *To what extent did the draft riots and opposition to the war effort have in the North? Opposition to the Civil War was widespread. Although there were many attempts at compromise prior to the outbreak of the War, there were those who felt the War could still be ended peacefully or believed it should not have occurred in the first place. Opposition was from both the North which believed the South had the right to be independent and those in the South that wanted neither war nor a Union advance into the newly declared Confederate States of America. Draft riots were the largest civil rebellion in American history, apart from the Civil War. The rioters were mainly working class men, resentful, because the draft unfairly affected them while sparing the lives of the wealthier men whom could afford to pay the $300 fee to exclude themselves from the draft. *Constitutional guarantees of freedom suffer infringement during major wars. To what extent did this occur during the Civil War? Provide examples. The Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863 stated that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free. Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal Border States.

Anthony Corrado Women are expected to do the chore Essays - Gender

Anthony Corrado Women are expected to do the chores around the house and the caregiving duties. According to " will marriage equality lead to equal sharing of housework " , full-time working men worked on average 8.3 hours a day while full-time working women worked on average 7.8 hours a day, this is due the the household chores and the expectation of women completing these duties getting in the way of the their regular pay time. In reading 70, " A brief history of working women " , it gives a good description of the different work roles white women had opposed to the black women. White men performed the agricultural work and the white women ' s work was done at home. Not only did they cook, clean, and care for children, but also they did spinning and weaving and made soap, lace, candles, and shoes. The roles for single women were slightly different they would remain in the " domestic sphere " acting as assistant homemakers for the relatives they ar e living with. African American women were treated opposite of how the white women were treated when it came to work they were not considered " weak " but rather seen as " beast " and the prime example of this is slavery. Racism and sexism was extremely prevalent black women were sold and to work on plantations and sometimes " exploited as sex objects for the white men. " The term pink-collar work came about during the Second World War, the term came about when the women started to occupy jobs as secretaries, typists, and transcribers. A pink collar worker did not require as much professional training as white-collar professions nor did they get equal pay or prestige. Men were rarely ever would work a pink collar job it was traditionally a woman's job. 2.) According to chapter 6 , " Sex, Power, and Intimacy, " sexual scripts are defined as guidelines for how we are supposed to feel and act as sexual persons. With this being said there are way s society views as " normal " , in reading 49 " The Cult of Virginity " , Valenti explained that her mother told her that if she kept having sex no one would want to marry her which isn ' t true but it show societal views on the sex. This also ties into sexual violence because since society is strong on being a virgin many young girls are scared of sex and think its " unclean. " This is so common in the United States because the social " norms " are being driven into women ' s mind at such a young age ,therefore when they grow older sexual assault is more common. Sexual violence can be defined as the act of sexually assaulting someone without their fully consent. This primarily happens when the woman is the victim but that is not always the case, men could be victims to. Racial violence and sexual violence are connected because African-American women were used as sex-slaves. As discussed in reading 77 , " Sex Work as a Test for African Fe minism " it describes how there was many reports of brutal attacks and rape of sex worker. 3.) When talking about family as an institution we are discussing the basic unit in the society, and the distinct functions that are performed that clarifies it as an institution in a society. In chapter 8 " Institutional Connections " it states " the family interacts with other institutions in society and provides various experiences for family members. " This means that a family as institution who is one that follows the traditional roles of a family, for example the women are associated with the " care-taking , educating , and servicing responsibilities. " Family as an experience is when members of the family grow up in a household experiencing the same things and both males and females are given the same opportunities. Thus they tend to move away from the traditional patriarchal family life with the father being the sole breadwinner and mother as the ca retaker. Chapter 8 , " Power and Family Relationships " states " power in

Insect Essays

Insect Essays Insect Essay Insect Essay Plants use allelopathy to assure them a spot in nature. I am trying to see which one of these plants inhibits the germination of radish seeds the most. Putnam (1984) reported that eucalyptus species released volatile compounds such as benzoic, cinnamic and phenolic acids, which inhibit growth of crops and weeds growing near it. Eucalyptus is a widely well-known allelopathic plant. I believe that Eucalyptus will allow the least amount of germination of radish seeds between Eucalyptus, Lemon, and a control. Allelopathy Lab Read Lab 8 in the Lab Manual This lab will require some setting up using household materials. You can be creative by using substitute materials if you dont have the exact list of materials handy. Please photograph your results and use that as part of your report. The seeds to use can be radish seeds or mung bean seeds, both of which germinate rapidly. Mung bean seeds can often be found in health food stores for they are grown by many to uses as bean sprouts in salads. Other seeds can be used but may take longer or rot. YOU ONLY NEED TO TEST ONE ALLELOPATHIC PLANT OF YOUR CHOICE. It can differ from those listed in the lab manual, since there are many more

Effects of capitalism and socialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effects of capitalism and socialism - Essay Example The system of socialism does not have the objective of accumulation of capital as followed by profit driven entities. The methods of accounting for a system of socialism does not follow financial calculations but is recorded on the basis of physical quantities, labor and time. Capitalism on the other hand is a system of economy where the means of production are owned by the corporate houses and the private businesses. The management of the ownership structure in a capitalist system is based on the production of goods and services for earning of profits. In a system of capitalism, the prices of goods and services are based on the market forces like competition, customer base, etc. The motives of capitalism are based on the accumulation of capital by the ownership structure. The methods of accounting in a capitalist structure in based on financial calculations. Effects: socialism and capitalism The systems of socialism and capitalism in the economy are different from the management of ownership of these two structures. The motives of socialism and capitalism also vary from each other. Due to this, the effects of socialism and capitalism are different from one another. The system of socialism is aimed at production of goods and services solely for the economic conditions of demand. ... The system of socialism has an effect on the labor wages and rights of the workers. The wages of labor are not reduced below a certain level in socialist economy. The minimum labor wages are sufficient to earn the livelihood in a socialist economy. However, due to absence of competition in the market, the employment level in the market is nor too high. There are a lot of people in the economy who are unemployed. Due to equitable distribution of goods and services in the structure of socialism, the demand of goods and services do not exceed the supply by much. Thus there is very little scope of inflation in a socialist economy. Also the production of goods and services are much lower in order to only meet the minimum demand of the population. Thus the GDP growth rates of the economy are much lower. On the other hand, the capitalism structure is driven by the profit motives. The system of capitalism includes the market forces of competition, labor wages, prices of goods and services fo r the growth of economy. The ultimate objective of the owners in a capitalist economy is the accumulation of business capital (Jones, 2010). The increase in competition of the market forces leads to increase in the production capacities. The increase in the production capacities and the requirement of labor for increased production gives rise to the employment level in the economy. Thus the availability of more jobs raises the bargaining power of the employers for which the labor wage rates decline in a capitalist economy. However, the rise in liquidity in the economy and shortage of employment among a few sections of the population gives rise to disparity of the

Performance management and control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance management and control - Essay Example Every day, 8 hours are spent producing the soaps, and the producer can produce Yellow soaps at the rate of 40 per hour, and the Blue soaps at the rate of 80 per hour. Each of the Yellow soaps attracts a profit of $5 and $3 for the Blue soap. We are going to use linear programming technique to find out the number of Yellow and Blue soaps that should be produced in order to maximise the profits. 1. The selling price can be increased; however, care should be taken so this strategy does not lead reduction in sales volume. If the selling price is increased without affecting the sales volume significantly, then the contribution sales ratio is increased directly. 2. Reduction of variable costs per unit can lead to a better contribution sales ratio. This can be achieved by acquiring inputs at cheaper prices; for example by buying in large qualities in order to enjoy quantity

The History Of Asian Indian Immigrants History Essay

The History Of Asian Indian Immigrants History Essay As immigration historians have established, the history of Asian Indian immigrants consisted of three major significant waves. The first wave began at about the middle of the nineteenth century when the first Asian Indians arrived in America. In fact, by the end of the nineteenth century, about 7300 Indian immigrants mostly settled in California and the Pacific Northwest of the United States (Leonard, 1992, p. 232). According to Bhatia and Takaki, the first wave immigrants were mostly farmers and laborers. Most of these immigrants were Sikhs from the Punjab region in India. However, after immigrating to the U.S., initially, many of these immigrants were employed as railroad workers on the Western Pacific Railroad and helped to construct the Three-Mile Spring Garden Tunnel. Sometimes they also replaced Italian railroad workers who were on strike in Tacoma, Washington (Bhatia, 2007, p. 82; Takaki, 1989, p. 302). Later these immigrants moved to California to work with the Southern Pacif ic Railroad where they found employment in agriculture. After a while these immigrants settled throughout the Sacramento Valley in northern California and found work on the fruit and rice farms of Marysville, Tudor, Willows, and Chico. These Punjabi immigrants also spread to the San Joaquin Valley, and joined the work in grape and celery fields. Further, Asian Indians moved to the Imperial Valley, where they used to gather cantaloupes and picked cotton (Takaki, 1989, p. 302-303). These Punjabi farm laborers organized themselves into teams of workers ranging from three to fifty people. Each group had a leader who was more highly educated and could communicate in English and keep the group working efficiently. They used to grow crops that were familiar to them in India. Skilled in cultivating and harvesting, most of these Punjabis were exceptional farmers, hard workers who were willing to work in any circumstance (Takaki, 1989, p. 306). Despite working from ten to fourteen hours per day Indian immigrants were paid from twenty-five to fifty cents less per day than Japanese laborers (Takaki, 1989, p. 303). As the main objective of the first wave immigrants was to explore economic opportunity, the main identifying characteristic of these immigrants was their need to survive and have financial stability. Opportunities in the United States provided an economic solution to their problems. For example, salaries in India ranged from 5 to 8 cents per day, and in the United States from 75 cents to 2 dollars per day (Wherry, 1907, p. 918-919). Therefore emigration to the United States offered relief from poverty and hope for financial stability. In the first wave, most of the immigrants were male. These immigrants were not allowed to bring their family with them. Most of them were habituated to live alone and lost most of the contacts with their family and home country. One immigrant named Saint Nihal Singh in his essay, which was published in the magazine Out West, argued that One of the chief points of difference between the immigrant from India and those hailing from Europe lies in the fact that the European brings along with him his family (La Brack, 1982, p. 60). The immigrants economic status, lack of rapid inter-continental communication or travel, as well as restrictive immigration and citizenship laws made it difficult for them to visit India. At the same time, due to another by-product of immigration laws, they were not allowed to bring their family which explains the shortage of Indian immigrant women. Along with the lack of Indian women, their exclusion from social interaction with American dominated society, which was reinforced by anti-miscegenation laws, led this immigrant cohort to marry Mexican American women (Leonard, 1992, p. 131-132; Takaki, 1989, p. 309-310). This fact becomes clear when comparing the percentage of Mexican wives among Indian immigrants in California between 1913 and 1947. In northern California, where there is a relatively small population of Indian immigrants, only 47 percent of wives are Mexican, but in southern California, where the immigrant population is much higher, almost 92 percent of wives came from M exico. As a result, another identifying characteristic of the first wave Indian immigrants was their willingness to mix with other races in the absence of Indian women, further cutting ties with their Indian culture and heritage. This mixing led to a blend of the cultural traditions of Asian Indians and Mexicans and sometimes to a dominant Spanish culture in their home life. For example, their progeny spoke Spanish not Punjabi, celebrated Christian rather than Sikh holidays, they replaced some Indian foods with similar Mexican foods such as tortillas for rotis and Jalapeno peppers for Punjabi chili peppers. Also the Catholic religion was adopted and the first names of children were most often Spanish (Takaki, 1989, p. 311). Over time, the traces of Indian heritage became thinner and thinner which also brought cultural differences and conflicts and led to more divorces among these couples (Takaki, 1989, p. 310). In the 1890s America attracted more Indian immigrants; however, as these immigrants were getting more in number than required, they became labor competitors with white workers and were often victimized by white working-class antagonism and violence. In response to exclusionist pressures, immigration officials targets Asian Indians seeking admission to the United States and denied many Indians between 1908 and 1920, on the grounds that they would likely become public charges (Takaki, 1989, p. 297).The growth of the Punjabi community was cut short by the 1917 Immigration Act, which prohibited further immigrants from India (Leonard, 1992, p. 32; Bankston, 2006, p. 68). However, a few decades later Indian immigrants of this first wave had become a part of the society and some were actively involved in social affairs and gained higher positions. For example, Dalip Saund in 1957 became the first Asian Indian senator from California when he was elected to Congress after it had passed a bill allowing naturalization for Indians in July 1946. Like many early Indian immigrants, Saund had come to the United States from Punjab and had worked initially in the fields and farms of California. Then, he had earned a doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley (Dasgupta, 2006, p. 139). 2.1.2. Second Wave of Indian American Immigrants In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill that has dramatically changed the method by which immigrants are admitted to America (Kutler, 2003, p. 230; Bankston, 2006, p. 320). The significance of this bill was that future immigrants were to be welcomed because of their professional skills, but not based on their country of origin. After the passing of this bill, significantly larger numbers of Asian Indian immigrants started migrating to the U.S. leading to the second wave. Between 1965 and 1974, Indian immigrants to the U.S. increased at a rate greater than those from any other country (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). This was mainly because of their fluency in English, high professional skills and level of education. Bhatia has stated that the second wave of immigrants was very different from the first wave of Indian immigrants in terms of their economic, educational and social status (Bhatia, 2007, p. 14). Takaki also claims that the first and second waves of Indian immigrants were worlds apart. In a published interview by Barkan, Dr. S. Patel who was a second wave immigrant, agreed with Takaki, describing the difference of the first and second waves: It is a class thing. They came from the farming, the lower class. We came from the educated middle class. We spoke English. We went to college. We were already assimilated in India, before we came here (Barkan, 1983, p. 48). The immigrants who emigrated after 1965 were overwhelmingly urban, professional, highly educated and quickly engaged in gainful employment in many U.S. cities. Many had prior exposure to Western society and education which led to a relatively smooth transition to the United States. In between 1966 and 1977, 83 percent of Indians who entered the U.S. under the occupational category of professional and technical workers; the entrants of this time included many scientists, doctors, and engineers (Prashad, 2000, p. 75). In addition, Bhatia states that most of this group of Asian Indians was trained as medical doctors, engineers, scientists, university professors, and doctoral and postdoctoral students in mostly science-related disciplines like chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, physics and biology (Bhatia, 2007, p. 14). However, both waves of immigrants from India shared a desire for a better life in America with greater opportunities for economic growth and independence (Takaki, 1989, p. 445). The second wave of immigrants enjoyed greater success with the greater economic opportunities in America because of their education. They could possibly make their life in India, but they also saw more opportunity in America. Unlike the first wave of immigrants, the second wave of immigrants defined themselves differently in relation to the U.S. and their home country. They were more educated, professional, and socially stable as they were allowed to bring their families. Though the search for economic opportunities brought both waves to the United States, the second wave of immigrants was able to earn more money and have improved standard of living than first wave immigrants. Also they maintained their ties with their culture and heritage through their families. Unlike the first wave immigrants, who were mainly male, the second wave immigrants were both male and female. Some Indian immigrant women used to work out of their home, contrary to traditional Indian American norms as well as to those in the first wave of Asian Indian immigrants. As a result, they participated in the mainstream of America and adapted to US culture faster and became more bicultural than those Indian immigrant women who adopted more traditional roles (Nandan, 2007, p. 395). Contrary to the first wave of immigrants from India, the second wave had the means to frequently visit their homeland to visit friends, attend important events and care for their parents. The second wave of immigrants had the means to own property such as houses which was not so easy for the first wave immigrants due to their low earnings and restrictions. Due to this reason some Indian immigrants in this wave moved to the suburbs which made them isolated from the many Indian families living in the city. Therefore, they often felt loneliness and did not felt comfortable in developing close bonds with the neighborhood too. This made them to maintain some of the Indian food and religious customs within their homes (Nandan, 2007, p. 396). 2.1.3. Third Wave of Indian American Immigrants The third wave of immigrants was marked by important shifts in the legal and sociopolitical environment, resulting in new patterns and dynamics in Indian American immigration. Due to Family Reunification Act which was passed in 1990, a large proportion of Indian Americans entered in to the US. This led to a third wave (from 1990 to the present time) of new arrivals of Indian American immigrants, which included both highly skilled professionals and a working and lower middle class population (Landale, 1997, p. 283). As a part of the Reunification Act, some of the third wave of Indian immigrants came specifically to join their family. Most of them are either siblings (sometimes they are very poor or uneducated) or aged parents (who are old and/or retired) of the highly skilled professionals unlike the second wave (Ross-Sheriff, 2004, p. 150). Therefore, economic stability or opportunity meant very little to this group in comparison with the previous waves of immigrants and also the highly skilled professionals. However this group of people tried to find work or started small businesses or worked in small businesses such as motels, gift shops, grocery/convenience stores or gas stations. In addition, many of these newcomers could not become financially independent, but rather stayed closely tied to their children or siblings (Bankston, 2006, p. 69; Ross-Sheriff, 2004, p. 150). According to Prashads statistics, 9,910 Indians, 1,694 Pakistanis, and 711 Bangladeshis came to the U.S. as highly skilled laborers in 1996. In comparison to the figures for those who came under the family reunification scheme are far higher, that is 34,291 Indians, 9,122 Pakistanis, and 8,221 Bangladeshis (Prashad, 2000, p. 79). With this shift in mode of entry, the education and socioeconomic profile of Indian Americans has become more diverse, complex and heterogeneous than the previous wave of immigrants. The second wave of immigrants who were already settled, invited their family members when the reunification act passed, allowing them to hold on more tightly to their culture. As a result, the third wave failed to assimilate into their new culture, choosing to live according to their own customs. Because of the arrival of the extended families, their culture and heritage could be maintained through the large number of Asian Indians living together in one area. As a result, small Indian communities were established allowing the third wave of immigrants to avoid the American culture. They could wear their own clothes; they could eat their food; they could speak their own language, and they could practice their own religion (Khandelwal, 2002, p. 164). Following the 2001 terrorist attacks against the U.S. on 9/11, the legal and political context of South Asian immigration once again shifted in some important ways. Thus, South Asian immigrants, especially men from the majority Muslim countries of Bangladesh and Pakistan, have been subject to a variety of surveillance measures instituted by the United States. It is not yet clear how these new measures will affect immigration from South Asia. As a result, there are some signs of decline in the rates of South Asian immigration, especially from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Reports in 2003 suggested those from Bangladesh and Pakistan are moving to more receptive countries like Canada (Sachs, 2003, p. A1). 2.2. Development of Asian Indian Immigrants This section describes briefly the facts and figures about Indian Americans in terms of population numbers, growth rate, education, language, etc. The growth of the population of Indian Americans has changed dramatically over the past few decades. According to the records the first wave consisted of 2000 immigrants. Between 1948 and 1965, 6,474 Asian Indians entered the United States as immigrants (Bankston, 2006, p. 68). During the 1980s the number of immigrants increased exponentially. According to the 1990 US Census about 570,000 Indians immigrated to America. Table 1 shows that the growth rate of Indian American immigrants from 1980 to 1990 increased significantly by about 35%. This growth rate continued from the 1980s to the 1990s. The growth rate from 1990-2000 is 14.42%. Even though the growth rate is lower compared to the previous growth rate, the population of Indian Americans in 2000 crossed the number of 1.5 million. The US Census 2000 shows that among all Asian ethnic groups the Indian Americans are the third largest ethnic group consisting of about 1,678,765 people (Table 2). Over 50 percent of foreign-born Asian Indians entered the U.S. between 1990 and 2000, compared with a rate of about 18% who entered before 1980. In 2007 over 2 million Indian Americans are listed in the data (U.S. Census Bureau). This is due to the land of opportunities with a good amount of perks and salary. In addition, globalization and multiculturalism is also playing a major role to attract immigrants. Most of the Indian Americans settled in populated states such as New York, California, New Jersey, Maryland, Texas and Illinois as well as large cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. This is largely due to the availability of jobs in larger cities as well as the personal preference of being a part of an urban and ethnically diverse environment. Yet, there are sizeable Asian Indian communities in suburban areas also such as Silver Springs in Maryland, San Jose and Fremont in California, Queens in New York and etc. (Bankston, 2006, p. 69-72). Education and career success are more highly valued among Indian immigrants as compared to other Asian groups. The 1990 US census report shows that 52 % of adult Asian Indians were college graduates which is considerably higher than the 35% rate among all adult Asian Americans. Their academic achievements were bolstered by their fluency in English. In addition, in 1990 over 80 percent of Indian male immigrants held a college degree and five percent of all Indian American doctors received their primary education in India. Due to the high educational status of Indian Americans, 65 percent of them worked as managers, or in the professional/technical industry (Helweg, 1990, p. 61). Many graduates from elite engineering institutions like IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) came to America for higher education at various educational institutions. Most of such graduates after finishing their higher studies from US universities used their new degrees to obtain positions with lucrative salaries, which in turn led them to work and settle in the United States. Very few of them returned to India immediately after finishing their higher education. In 2000, about 87% of Asian Indians had at least a High School Diploma and 70% had a Bachelors Degree or higher, and they were proficient in English. Of the general population, 33.6% were in management, professional, and related positions. Among the Asian Indian population, 59.9 % were in those types of position, which was more than any other Asian group. This was mainly because Indian Americans in fact were well-educated, hard-working, and proficient in the English language. Indian Americans had the highest labor force participation rate of about 79% as compared to all Asian Americans, who participated in the labor force at a rate of about 71%. Besides this, male Indian immigrants had median yearly earnings of $51,904, which was also more than any other Asian American group. As a result Asian Indians had a lower poverty rate than that of the total population (9.8% versus 12.4%). Moreover, statistics showed that Indians had a larger percentage (71.4) of the populace between the ages of 16 and 64 than any other Asian group, except immigrants from Thailand (82.2%) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Accordingly, Indian Americans remain one of the most socio-economically successful groups of all immigrants or ethnicities in the U.S. and are often presented as a model from which other ethnic/immigrant groups could learn. As Wadhwa reports on Bloomberg Businessweek in 2006: Not only are they leaving their mark in the field of technology, but also in real estate, journalism, literature, and entertainment. They run some of the most successful small businesses and lead a few of the largest corporations. Valuable lessons can be learned from their various successes (Wadhwa, 2006, Bloomberg Business Week). This article also cites twelve main factors that account for the success of Indian Americans such as education, upbringing, hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, social networks, integration into the U.S. society, etc. These statistics show and prove that Indian immigrants tend to have high levels of education and English proficiency, which gives them an advantage over other Asian communities. However, along with the advantages, there are also issues such as assimilation, religious beliefs, traditions and race which are also challenging. 2.3 Generational Change After many years these immigrants over time settled and became permanent citizens, who are treated as first-generation of Asian Indian Americans. This led to multiple generations of Indian Americans. The children of the first-generation, unlike their parents, grew up with an Indian culture and an American culture. Due to this different background, historians distinguish between first, second, and third-generations of Asian Indian Americans who differ in terms of their values, customs and traditions. First-generation Indian Americans from the Indian subcontinent are more familiar with the culture of India as well as the culture of America. They tend to be more traditional than later generations. Attempting to preserve their religious and cultural heritage, these first-generation Indian Americans built temples and formed local organizations representative of the subcultures (Sindi, Gujarati, Tamil, and Bengali) from which they came. Parents exposed their children to those subcultures through functions hosted by these organizations and within their home (Bankston, 2006, p. 73). In the case of second-generation of the Indian Americans, most of their traditional and cultural values were slowly changed. They grow up in American culture and learn more about American culture and at the same time they used to face Indian traditions in their homes. Following this dual culture lead to understand and search their identity in the society. As cultural historians have suggested, they find themselves at a place in-between the Indian and the American cultures due to the adoption of American culture as well as compromise of some Indian traditions. Third-generation Asian Indian Americans, who strongly adhere to the U.S. cultural values, but do not endorse any traditional Asian Indian values, could be said to be highly acculturated but not enculturated (Tewari, 2009, p. 105). They are naturalized citizens of America and they do not fit India. However, physically they are always tied to India because of their appearance. Those immigrants who succeed in business can shed the label of immigrant, while those who are poor continue to be viewed as immigrants, even though their family has been in the U.S. for three generations.