New Books in Sociology Uzma Quraishi, "Redefining the Immigrant South: Indian and Pakistani Immigration to Houston During the Cold War" (UNC Press, 2020)
Aug 20, 2025
Uzma Quraishi, an Associate Professor at Sam Houston State University, explores Indian and Pakistani immigration to Houston during the Cold War. She discusses how public diplomacy influenced highly educated South Asian students' migration. The conversation highlights the creation of inter-ethnic identities among immigrants and the concept of 'brown flight.' Quraishi examines the role of historical narratives in understanding current social movements, situating these immigrant experiences within broader racial dynamics in the South.
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Research Sparked By Local Silence
- Uzma Quraishi began this research as a master's student because she found virtually no histories of South Asians in Houston or the South.
- She drew on archival work and oral histories partly motivated by her own Pakistani Houston background.
Cold War Public Diplomacy Seeded Migration
- U.S. public diplomacy in the 1950s actively seeded later South Asian student migration to the U.S. through libraries, info centers, and sponsored visitors.
- These programs targeted middle classes and higher education to build pro‑American sentiment and university enrollment.
Memories Of Libraries And Visitors
- Interviewees recalled learning about American universities in local US information libraries and remembering American visitors in grade schools.
- These small memories pointed Uzma Quraishi to archival evidence of deliberate U.S. outreach programs.
