Little India (Middlesex County, New Jersey)

[14][15] According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 42.6% of Iselin residents identified themselves as being Asian Indian, the highest for any census-designated place in the United States.

[16] Oak Tree Road in Edison and Iselin is home to over 400 South Asian business establishments, including dining, halal grocery, jewelry, apparel and electronics retailing, and entertainment.

[37][38][39] In the early 1990s, prior to the arrival of significant Indian investment, Oak Tree Road was a down-on-its-luck strip of biker bars and abandoned buildings.

[40] As Indian businesses began arriving in the 1990s en masse, the area transformed over time into the "thriving market full of pedestrian traffic on weekends" seen today.

[41] A blend of South Asian religious festivals and cultural events are held in the Oak Tree Road district in Edison and Iselin, each featuring a melting pot of visitors and celebrants of all religions and backgrounds.

Attendees and parade marshals have included Tamannaah Bhatia, Kajal Aggarwal, Sonu Sood, RJ Devaki, Monal Gajjar, Richa Anirudh, Avani Modi, Prachee Shah, Madalsa Sherma, Sameksha Singh, Esha Deol and Sujata Mehta.

In 2022, controversy and concerns about anti-Muslim animus arose at the annual parade when members of the community objected to a yellow wheel loader, resembling a bulldozer, seen in the August 14 parade displaying photographs of Prime Minister Modi and the conservative Hindu nationalist monk, Yogi Adityanath, who is also the chief elected leader of the Northern Indian region of Uttar Pradesh.

[61] During the 2023 parade, reports arose of anti-Muslim intimidation by a group of young men waving the militant Hindu nationalist Bajrang Dal flags and chanting, concerning Indian Muslim parade-marcher witnesses.

[62][63][64] A variety of Hindu temples have been established along the strip, alongside diverse Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations in the greater area.