About this Series

More than any other ethnic group in the Chicago area, immigrants from India embrace the suburbs. Four in five Indian-Americans in the Chicago area call the suburbs home, primarily Northwest suburban Cook County and DuPage County.

The Indian population grew by almost 95 percent during the 1990s, surpassing Filipinos to become the largest Asian group in Illinois. The 2000 census says there are about 125,000 Indian-Americans in the Chicago area; community leaders put the number between 150,000 and 250,000.

With the help of a grant from the International Center for Journalists and the World Affairs Councils of America, Daily Herald reporter Rukmini Callimachi and photographer M. Scott Mahaskey traveled to India to see firsthand the land of heartbreaking beauty and considerable turmoil where our suburban immigrants came from - and to better understand what still binds them there.

About the writer
Romanian-born Rukmini Callimachi joined the Daily Herald as a staff reporter in 2001. She previously covered India as a freelance reporter for Time magazine and National Public Radio. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1995 and received her masters in linguistics from the University of Oxford in 1999, where she also studied Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. In 2000, she co-led the Royal Geographical Society's expedition to Tibet.

About the photographer
M. Scott Mahaskey joined the Daily Herald in 1999 after beginning his career in his native state of Iowa. His photos have appeared nationally in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Associated Press. Mahaskey has taught part-time at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he also received his master of fine arts in 2000. His most recent awards include a 2001 Peter Lisagor Award for Photojournalism and first place, sports portfolio, in the 2001 Illinois Press Photographers Association annual contest.

Community interest
The Daily Herald is making a live presentation on the India series available to libraries and other community groups. It can be modified, with or without visuals, to meet the group's needs. If you are interested in scheduling a talk, call (847) 427-4560 or (630) 955-3544.