Hindus & Hinduism have influenced America for 250 years | Jeffrey D Long

In this episode of That’s So Hindu, Mat McDermott talks with Professor Jeffrey D Long (Elizabethtown College) about the deep roots and growing presence of Hinduism in the United States. We explore the history from the colonial period to modern American spirituality, and how Western leaders and intellectuals have been influenced by Hindu thought for the past 250 years

In this episode:

The early awareness of Indian influence in America dating back to the 1600sThe role of founding fathers like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in engaging with Indian texts and ideasAmerican perceptions of Hindu concepts, including reincarnation and caste, in the 18th and 19th centuriesThe transcendentalist movement, Emerson and Thoreau's fascination with Hindu philosophy, and its influence on American cultureThe emergence of Hindu organizations and the impact of Swami Vivekananda’s arrival in the USThe relationship between Western philosophical traditions and Hindu thought, highlighting influences from Greece to AmericaThe evolution of Hindu-American identity and the modern resurgence of Hindu pride and pride in its philosophical heritage

Timestamps:

00:24 - Jeffrey Long’s bio and his book “Hinduism in America”

01:05 - Personal connection to Hindu practices and history in America

01:41 - Early Indian influence in colonial America

02:09 - American figures and their interest in Hindu texts

03:05 - The growth of Hindu temples across the U.S.

04:01 - The convergence of Hindu migrant communities and American-born Hindus

05:14 - The rise of non-Indian Hindus in America

07:19 - Historical references to Hindus in the 1600s