1990s: In 1990, the number of Indian-born people living in the United States is 450,000. By 1995, there is a 160,000-strong Indian community in California alone.

Today: India is the second highest source of legal immigration to the United States, second only to Mexico. In 2003, legal immigration from India to the United States totals 50,379. As of 2006, ethnic Asians make up 4.2 percent of the U.S. population.

1990s: Arranged marriage is common among Indian and other Asian immigrants to the United States. A 1994 opinion poll of 1,715 adults in five urban centers in India finds that 74 percent of men and women believe arranged marriages are more likely than non-arranged marriages to succeed.

Today: Arranged marriage is the prevailing trend among Indian and other Asian immigrant families. However, some commentators say that the custom has changed, having become primarily an introduction service where the children have the final say. This...