Little India Expedition
This project borrows its name from William Bungee’s Detroit Expedition and is inspired by his book Fitzgerald: Geography of a Revolution (Cambridge, Mass.: Schenkman Publishers, 1971).
The book Fitzgerald is a groundbreaking work of humanist geography, presenting the history, development and contemporary challenges of a particular neighbourhood of Detroit. Similar to Fitzgerald, the studies presented on this site provide a “service to society” and aim “to learn big things from a little region”. Like Bunge, the lead researcher of this project, Harald Bauder, is a resident of the neighbourhood of study. Unlike Bunge, to whom Detroit’s Fitzgerald neighbourhood was the first place in which he “has felt at home since he was five years old”, Bauder moved to the Little India neighbourhood in 2008 and tries to learn about the neighbourhood and its residents through this research.
This site presents a compilation of research projects that relate to Toronto’s Little India. The term “Expedition” signifies that the research team does not know exactly what the journey will reveal. But we are enjoying the ride and hope that our “discoveries” will be of service to the community.
Reports
Toronto's Little India: A Brief Neighbourhood History (opens in new window) (PDF file)
Abstract: This report explores the history of the area known as Toronto’s Little India. In particular, it investigates the contexts of urbanization, residential change, and business and work related to Little India from early settlement to the contemporary period. The aim is to understand the identity of the neighbourhood and provide a resource to the community.
Abstract: Ethnic economies are an important part of the today’s global city. We examine Toronto’s Little India and map the corresponding ethnic and Visible Minority population and their residential locations across the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Although past research suggests that ethnic economies are typically accompanied by a local co-ethnic residential population, our study shows that this is not the case for Little India. While the South Asian population around Little India is increasing, it is growing at a slower pace than in some other parts of the Toronto CMA. We identify and examine four major South Asian residential clusters across the Toronto CMA that represent a potential customer base for the businesses of Little India.
Major Research Papers
Gerrard India Bazaar: An Atypical Ethnic Economy in a Residential Neighbourhood (opens in new window) by Angelica Suorineni
Gentrification of Ethnic Businesses in Toronto's Little India: An Analysis of Ethnic Business Development (opens in new window) by Taraneh Etemadi
Resources
"With the Glassgow Rangers in Ontario (external link, opens in new window) ", a 1930 soccer game at Ulster Stadium (South of Gerrard/East of Greenwood) between the Glasgow Rangers and Ulster United.
CBC Metrop Morning: "A pillar of South Asia" -- Second generation surprised but happy to be behind the counter of Dad's store in Little India (external link)
Links
Gerrard India Bazaar BIA (external link, opens in new window) (external link)