Indian Community • United States
Where Sindhi Families Live in America
A community without a homeland state • SANA since 1985 • Chicago’s association dates to 1965
Sindhis are unusual among Indian communities: Sindh is in Pakistan, so there is no home state to return to. Partition scattered the community worldwide in 1947, and American Sindhi life has been built entirely in diaspora since. There are roughly 6,299 Sindhi speakers in the United States (ACS 2017–2021 detailed languages), but the community is considerably larger than that — most families now speak Hindi or English at home.
Last updated: August 2026 • All Indian community guides →
The Short Answer
New Jersey is the Sindhi hub of the United States — the Edison and Iselin corridor, SANJ since 1985 and a Sadhu Vaswani Center. Washington DC is the organisational centre: SANA, the national association, is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland and was founded in Rockville in 1985.
Chicago has the oldest institution by a wide margin — SAMC dates to 1965, which makes it one of the oldest Indian community organisations of any kind in America. Dallas-Fort Worth is the fastest-growing, with three separate Sindhi organisations around Frisco and Plano.
Sindhi Organisations, City by City
| Metro | Organisation & founded | Scale and notes | State income tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| The centres | |||
| New Jersey | SANJ — 1985 | The US Sindhi hub, on the Edison–Iselin corridor, with a Sadhu Vaswani Center. | Yes |
| Washington DC | SANA national HQ | Founded in Rockville in 1985; headquarters now in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Community centred on the Dulles corridor. | Yes |
| Chicago | SAMC — 1965 | The oldest Sindhi association in America. Around 250 attend the annual Cheti Chand, centred on Schaumburg and the northwest suburbs. | Yes |
| Established | |||
| Los Angeles | SASC — 1986 | The Sindhu Center in Norwalk has operated since 1997, and the metro has hosted two international Sammelans. | Yes |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 3 organisations | Frisco and Plano are the epicentre, with Chetichand, Teejri and other festivals run across the three groups. | None |
| Houston | SCH — 150+ members | Sugar Land is the community hub. Hosted the SANA national convention in 2025. | None |
| Atlanta | SANA Atlanta chapter | A Sadhu Vaswani Center and a young-adult wing, centred on Global Mall in Norcross. | Yes |
| Newer | |||
| Bay Area | SCNC — 2002 | Weekly Jhulelal aarti in Fremont and Sunnyvale, plus a Sadhu Vaswani presence. | Yes |
| Seattle | SAS — 2023 | The newest association in the country, on the Bellevue–Redmond–Kirkland Eastside. | None |
| Austin | No formal association yet | An estimated 300–800 Sindhi residents, clustered around northwest Austin and the Domain. | None |
About the Data
The Census publishes a Sindhi figure only at national level: roughly 6,299 speakers. There is no metro breakdown, and more importantly the figure substantially undercounts the community.
Sindhi families lost their home region at Partition and dispersed — first across India, then worldwide. Language retention has been correspondingly weaker than for communities with an intact home state, and most American Sindhi families now speak Hindi or English at home. A language count therefore captures only a fraction of the people who identify as Sindhi.
This page is organised around associations, centres and Cheti Chand instead, which for this community are far more reliable indicators than a speaker count.
Which City Fits Your Situation
You want to be in the middle of the community
New Jersey. The Edison and Iselin corridor is the closest thing American Sindhis have to a centre, with the association, a Sadhu Vaswani Center and the surrounding North Indian commercial district.
Sadhu Vaswani or Jhulelal worship matters to you
Sadhu Vaswani Centers operate in New Jersey, the Bay Area and Atlanta. The Bay Area also runs weekly Jhulelal aarti in Fremont and Sunnyvale — unusual regularity for a community this size.
You want no state income tax
Dallas-Fort Worth is the strongest option, with three organisations around Frisco and Plano. Houston hosted the 2025 SANA convention, and Seattle’s association is new but growing.
You want the deepest history
Chicago. SAMC was founded in 1965 — older than almost any Indian-American organisation in the country, and a reminder that Sindhi migration to America began earlier than most.
You are moving to Austin
Be aware there is no formal Sindhi association there yet — an estimated 300–800 residents clustered around northwest Austin and the Domain, without an organisation to join. Our Austin guide covers what exists and what does not.
SANA, Cheti Chand and Community Life
SANA — Sindhi Association of North America
Founded in Rockville, Maryland in 1985 and headquartered in Gaithersburg, SANA is the national body, with local chapters and an annual convention that rotates between host cities — Houston in 2025. For a dispersed community, the convention functions as the main point of national contact.
Cheti Chand is the marker
Cheti Chand, the Sindhi new year, honours Jhulelal and is the defining community event. Chicago draws around 250 people to its annual celebration. Where a metro holds Cheti Chand at all, there is an organised community; where it does not, families usually travel.
Jhulelal and Sadhu Vaswani
Sindhi religious life centres on Jhulelal, and on the teachings of Sadhu T. L. Vaswani. Sadhu Vaswani Centers function as both temple and community hall, and their presence is one of the clearest signals that a metro has an established Sindhi population rather than scattered families.
A community defined by business
Sindhi families are heavily represented in trade, retail and import-export — a pattern that followed directly from Partition, when a merchant community lost its home base and rebuilt through commercial networks abroad. In several metros the community is more visible commercially than residentially.
Common Questions
How many Sindhis are there in the United States?
The Census counts roughly 6,299 Sindhi speakers, but the community is considerably larger. Sindhi families lost their home region at Partition and language retention has been weaker than for communities with an intact home state, so most now speak Hindi or English at home.
Which US city has the largest Sindhi community?
New Jersey, centred on the Edison and Iselin corridor, is generally regarded as the US Sindhi hub. Washington DC is the organisational centre, with SANA headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Where is the oldest Sindhi organisation in America?
Chicago. The Sindhi Association of Metropolitan Chicago was founded in 1965, making it one of the oldest Indian community organisations of any kind in the United States.
Why is there no Sindhi home state in India?
Sindh became part of Pakistan at Partition in 1947. Sindhi Hindus dispersed across India and then worldwide, which is why the community has no home state to return to and why its institutions are entirely diaspora-built.
What is Cheti Chand?
The Sindhi new year, honouring Jhulelal. It is the defining community event; Chicago draws around 250 people to its annual celebration.
Sindhi City Guides
- Sindhi in New Jersey — the Edison and Iselin hub
- Sindhi in Washington DC — SANA national headquarters
- Sindhi in Chicago — SAMC, founded 1965
- Sindhi in Los Angeles — the Sindhu Center in Norwalk
- Sindhi in Dallas-Fort Worth — Frisco, Plano and three organisations
- Sindhi in Houston — Sugar Land and the 2025 SANA convention
- Sindhi in Atlanta — Norcross and the Sadhu Vaswani Center
- Sindhi in the Bay Area — weekly Jhulelal aarti in Fremont and Sunnyvale
- Sindhi in Seattle — the newest association in the country
- Sindhi in Austin — a growing cluster without a formal association
Data Sources
National Sindhi figure: U.S. Census Bureau, Detailed Languages Spoken at Home, ACS 2017–2021, released June 2025. The ACS does not publish Sindhi at metro level, and the national figure undercounts the community because language retention has been weak since Partition. Association founding dates, membership figures and festival attendance are organisation-reported rather than Census data, and are drawn from our individual city guides. Read our full research methodology →