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JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXI, No. 1. July 1996
in many instances, children of the third phase formed a constituent of the majority born and raised second generation, whom I term a Ameri
Jains.
42
Ameri-Jain Population
Records of Ameri-Jain population cover Jain community publications in Canada and the United States; telephone directories, North American Jain Directory from Boston, Massachussets, and mailing lists of Jain Digest Quarterly and Jinamañjarī. Based on figures from these sources, the Ameri-Jain population has been established at one hundred thousand. Of this, the Jain population of Canada is estimated at around ten thousand only.24
Available records show that all Canadian provinces, except for Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Northwest Territories, have Jain residents, Ontario has the majority of Jains living followed by Quebec and British Columbia. In the United States, Jains live in all the states except for Maine, South Dakota and Wyoming. The majority of the Jains are concentrated in the states of California, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Texas. In both the countries, Jains live in urban and industrial centres.
The Survey Questionnaire and Findings
A survey was conducted in both Canada and the United States to gather data on obtaining a general understanding of the Jain views on aspects of their practices and preferences. It reveals some of the following information gathered for the first time in North America.25
--
Jains fall mostly in the plus fifty age group immigrating in the sixties and seventies.
Educational background has a large percentage of professionals such as, engineers, medical doctors, PhD etc.
Most families consist of two children, and only a handful of joint families are noted.
By nature, they are exogamous.
They prefer to belong to religious organization over linguistic choice.
- a large majority believes that Jain culture is distinct within
the Indian context.
24. Ibid., pp. 113-120. 25. Ibid.,
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