KAPAA, HAWAII, USA, January 26, 2008: Hinduism Today releases its Keynote Video about the US R-1 Religious Worker Visa process, a controversial proposed change in U.S. law affecting the Hindu community and the future of its cultural identity. During the Second Hindu Dharma Summit in Orlando, Sannyasin Arumugaswami, Managing Editor of Hinduism Today, gave this overview of the religious worker visa program. It is under its rules that priests and temple builders are brought to the US. Arumugaswami showed how recent changes in the administration of the visa have negatively impacted Hindus by making it more difficult to get visas. The process is still in flux, and US legislation contrary to the interest of Hindus could be made permanent.
In the presentation, Swami pointed out that India provides a larger immigrant group to the US gaining permanent residency (approximately 50,000 per year) than any other country except Mexico, and this predominantly Hindu population requires temple builders and priests from India to meet its needs. You can see previous HPI announcements about it here.
The Second Hindu Dharma Summit met December 14 to 16, 2007, at the University of Southern Florida, to explore the challenges facing today’s Hindus in America and internationally. Planned and hosted by the Hindu University of America, it brought together one hundred Hindu community leaders, swamis, academics and activists.