America’s First Naturalized Citizen of Indian Origin
In 1890, Eduljee Sorabjee achieved a rare legal milestone by becoming one of the first South Asian immigrants to acquire American citizenship. Born in Bombay, this Parsi entrepreneur leveraged his business background, extensive travel, and claims of Persian royal heritage to successfully navigate the restrictive Naturalization Act of 1790. While the law generally reserved citizenship […]
Conjee Rustomjee Joins U.S. Navy in Civil War
An Indian-born sailor entered the ranks of the U.S. military during the American Civil War when Conjee Rustomjee Couhujee Bey enlisted in the Navy under the name Antonio Gomez. Serving for two years, he became one of the earliest documented people of Indian origin to wear an American uniform in a major national conflict. His […]