- [Announcer] Major funding for this program provided by Piyush J. Patel.

Additional funding made possible by the New Jersey Historical Commission, Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation, and Suresh Chugh.

(bright music) (bright music continues) - Oak Tree Road right now is the heartbeat of the Indian American community in the entire United States of America.

There's no question about it.

- [Woman] Go.

- Now it's the most vibrant, active Asian Indian shopping and dining district in the state of New Jersey.

- This is David Hoffman from David's Been Here coming at you from Edison, New Jersey.

- [Man] This is the best thing on earth.

- Mm-hmm.

- Here in the heart of Little India is Oak Tree Road, a place that makes many residents feel at home.

- Because I am Indian and look different, I have the turban.

Why, the Indian people, they come here, they don't like that somebody have too many businesses in this area.

- We used to run after them trying to protect ourselves.

So I mean, those were the days.

I mean, it wasn't that easy.

Trust me.

(chuckles) (bright Indian folk music) (bright Indian folk music continues) (bright Indian folk music continues) - I'm Rohit Vyas and I'm here on Oak Tree Road.

It's a mile and a half long stretch going from Edison Township, which is behind me, to Iselin in Woodbridge Township ahead of me.

It's the heart, the hub of a thriving Indian American and South Asian American business and professional community.

No place today is more recognized throughout the world as the place to experience everything Indian and South Asian, outside of India and South Asia itself, than Oak Tree Road.

- [All] Oak Tree Road!

- [Rohit] Visitors to Oak Tree Road in New Jersey's Edison and Iselin experience a kaleidoscope of colors as a wide variety of traditional attire from fanciful wear for weddings or special occasions to casual clothing, footwear and ornaments stare out at them from showroom windows.

There are places where you can find uniquely Indian curio items, things that would lend a culture to one's home.

Conversations in Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, and more fill the air as families head to hair salons, grocery stores, or amble along the sidewalk.

The aroma of samosas, tandoori chicken, biryani, and a myriad spices waft through the air as you walk by many eateries along the road.

It can be absolutely mouthwatering for some, but a tad bit overwhelming for the uninitiated.

- That's the spiciest pani puri I ever had in my life.

(cook laughing) - [Rohit] Oak Tree Road also has a continuously growing jewelry section that bears resemblance to the well-known 47th Street Diamond District in New York City.

The growing immigrant population and numerous cultural events, festivals, and celebrations draw visitors who want to experience South Asia without having to travel overseas.

The road has gained such recognition that it is frequently mentioned by internationally renowned comedians, talk show hosts, and social media influencers when discussing anything related to Indian culture.

♪ Look at all these folks on Oak Tree Road ♪ ♪ I really, really wanna get to know ♪ - [Rohit] But it wasn't always like this.

♪ I got a long way to go ♪ - [Rohit] Just decades earlier, the strip saw a decline in business with boarded-up shops and empty streets.

Now, how did the area's revival begin with the Indian immigrant population playing a major role?

First, let's look back in time.

The history of Oak Tree Road in Edison and Woodbridge Townships goes back more than 300 years when it was known as the road from Woodbridge to the mountains.

Farms large and small developed on both the north and south sides of the road.

In the 19th century, Oak Tree Road maintained its rural character even as communities became railroad depots.

- Iselin was mostly farmlands.

A lot of farms here.

This was the outskirts of Woodbridge.

So you had Cooper's Dairy, you had Weirs, you had Correja.

You had Neely's farm.

So some of these names still play a role such as Cooper Avenue, Correja Avenue.

In the 1870s, a finishing school was built called the Adrian Institute.

This was the finishing school for proper young ladies.

It offered languages and told them how to act properly.

The man's name was Adrian Iselin.

To attract people to come, he built this Victorian train station, the Iselin Depot.

This was because if you're having wealthy people come pre-automobile, how are they going to get here?

They're going to take the train.

So seeing this Victorian train station with the Iselin name on it would attract people.

That was a dominating feature of Iselin.

- [Rohit] In 1870, much of the road was part of Raritan Township, and in the late 19th century, the road became known as Oak Tree Road or the Oak Tree Iselin Road.

Nearby Menlo Park featured the growing laboratory of Thomas Edison.

In 1954, Raritan Township was renamed Edison Township after Thomas Edison.

(bright music) The construction of the Garden State Parkway in 1957 led to suburban housing developments.

This development continued as John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital opened in 1964 and Metropark Train station opened in 1971 for commuters along the Northeast Corridor.

Throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, farms were converted into houses, drive-in theaters and malls, reflecting the growing suburbanization seen throughout New Jersey.

In the 1970s, immigrants from India began to settle along Oak Tree Road in Iselin and Edison.

The community grew rapidly throughout the 1980s and '90s, and the area now has one of the largest concentrations of Asian Indians, not only in New Jersey, but in the United States.

- The renovation here is dazzling to say the least.

It was a farmer's market.

You can get fresh eggs, fresh milk, fresh produce.

- [Rohit] John Eberhart, the former recreation director for the township of Woodbridge and his sister Chris Soltesz, lived in Iselin right off of Oak Tree Road for decades.

They have witnessed its heyday, its decline, and then its resurrection by the Indian immigrant population.

They have some poignant memories.

- This used to be Petoletti's, and here was a soda fountain.

Used to go in there and get ice cream floats and sodas.

As we come down further, we just left Jack and Earl's Tavern.

We had ourselves a glass of beer.

We're gonna go down here a bit- - And we're still able to walk.

- And we're still able to walk.

We'll go down a little bit and we'll make a right-hand turn and we'll go into Hank's Tavern.

We were not lacking for taverns.

- At the bottom of the hill was Mary's Dress Shop, which was a lovely place.

Her windows had so many pretty things.

I remember vividly my brother and sister and I saved our money to get our mother a beautiful sundress for her birthday.

That was very exciting for us to do.

- Another one of my favorites of Oak Tree Road used to be Tom's Eagle Hardware.

It's owned by Tom.

He's the one I think that first sounded the alarm that Oak Tree Road was declining.

His business was going down and we now have the salvation.

- Alright, John, tell me what was this now?

This building was something, pretty much a landmark in this area, wasn't it?

- This was the Iselin Theatre and Iselin Theatre used to be two films and a cartoon for 25 cents.

- [Rohit] Wow.

- [John] This was the place to be on Saturday afternoon.

And this small section here was Iselin TV Radio.

Back in the day when you didn't throw your TV or radio away, you fixed it.

This was the Iselin Post Office- - [Rohit] Which is now Butala Emporium.

- [John] Yep.

- Selling religious goods.

- Beautiful stuff in there.

- Yeah.

- This is the heart of Iselin.

Green Street was the main hub.

Business was here.

You come here for popcorn, you come here for a movie, you come here for your sausage, your cheese, your baked goods.

This was the center of Woodbridge back in the '50s and '60s and early '70s.

- Although it's not on Oak Tree Road, you can hear the music of Edison Tower in the summertime.

It would be really beautiful.

Dinnertime, open your windows.

If you're sitting outside, you're enjoying the music played from Edison Tower.

It was a very wonderful life then.

(upbeat twangy music) - Behind me is the St. Cecelia, it is now a tax office and other office buildings, but it used to be the convent for St. Cecelia's.

A little bit to the right of it is the school, St. Cecelia School.

I was one of the first classes to go all the way from beginning to end.

- St. Cecelia's is one of the dominating features of Iselin, just before the railroad tracks, just before Route 27, and across from it is the Presbyterian Church.

They were the anchors and they're still there.

- [Rohit] Now this is a transformed center, right?

- Yes.

- In your opinion, compared to then, how do you feel about it now?

- There's a big grin inside me knowing that Iselin is surviving and it surviving is what it should be.

- [Rohit] During the early to mid 1980s, signs of noticeable demographic change in Iselin and Edison emerged along the Oak Tree Road corridor.

It began to revive as boarded-up establishments were replaced by new businesses.

This transformation was driven by investors who recognized the area's economic potential, spurred by cultural shifts and the arrival of new immigrants.

So who were the first Indian immigrant entrepreneurs to set up shop on Oak Tree Road in Iselin and Edison?

Dr. Surender Grover, an orthopedic surgeon, was an early investor in property along the abandoned strip.

After graduating medical school in New Delhi, India, he moved to New Jersey in the late 1960s.

He has worked at both Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy and John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison.

The choice of location for his practice was strategic.

Metropark Station, a major railroad stop for both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit on the Northeast Corridor line, is just blocks away from Oak Tree Road.

- [Announcer] Now arriving on Track 1.

- [Rohit] Patients from New York could easily catch a train to his practice, and so he built a steady patient base from both New York and New Jersey.

- Because of this Oak Tree Road, a lot of Indian and South Asian population moved into this area.

A lot of new physicians came and providing very high quality medical care to our patients in this area.

When I invested in Oak Tree Road, we thought it'll grow, but I didn't know it was gonna grow that much, that the multinational corporations will come and they're attracting more business to come and it's becoming one of the most famous places around.

When you think of India, you think of Delhi, Bombay, and Oak Tree Road.

That's the place to come.

- Nice to see you.

- Very nice meeting you.

- [Rohit] Chaman Nayar came to New York in 1979 from India to help his brother-in-law run his sari store.

In 1986, they headed to New Jersey to open a sari store on Oak Tree Road.

Nayar named it Sari Emporium.

He decided to introduce fine Indian jewelry to the area in his sari store.

Months later, his jewelry business skyrocketed, and he moved to selling only jewelry at his store, now known as Sona Jewelers.

- On my way from New York to here one day, I went for business.

When I came back, there was so much rush.

I was calculating, why not start another business to make extra money?

So this business came into my mind.

And I saw the calculation, what people were selling, jewelry, on a basis of at least 20% margin and our sari business was also 20% margin.

I thought this would be a better business than sari business and if we started together along with the sari, we could be more successful.

So that's what had happened.

- [Rohit] So what was business like in the early days of Indian retailers on Oak Tree Road?

- When we started the sari business, there was no business.

Very little, maybe I would say $500 business a day.

I never thought about this.

I didn't think that this will be like 25 jewelers in this block.

When we opened up, we never thought about this.

But then slowly, slowly, everybody one after the other started to come but it's okay for the market.

We have all variety of customers, from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the rest of Asia as well.

- [Rohit] From ancient times to the present, jewelry has played a significant role in the lives of South Asians, symbolizing tradition and celebration.

Each region and community in India boasts distinct jewelry styles characterized by detailed designs and adorned with precious metals and gemstones.

Often passed down through generations, these pieces tell stories and signify one's roots and social status.

The auspiciousness of gold and silver coupled with the intricate craftsmanship of jewelry is believed to bring blessings, prosperity, and protection from negative energies.

In 1984, Kenya-born Praful Vaid came to the United States from England, where he had his formal education.

He also helped a friend run a jewelry store in Queens, New York, since he already had experience running his family's jewelry business in England.

His wife Keeran joined him in the US six months later and the couple decided they'd look for a location to set up their own jewelry store.

- When we came down looking for a store here, we found this place all run-down.

There were only like three Indian stores here, which was like the grocery store and a sari store.

And we found this small place which was empty and we made a lease right outside the door with the owner.

There was no legal agreement, nothing, it was just a paper signed that we want to rent this place.

- [Rohit] They opened Nina Jewelers in 1987 in the Iselin section of Oak Tree Road.

- My wife used to sit there in the store with no customers at all for the whole day and that went on for quite some time before we actually saw some movement and then people started understanding jewelry and it kind of got better and better.

- Jewelry I sold was gold, 22 karat gold Indian-style.

It was like necklaces, sets, bangles, bracelets, men's chain.

Those kind of jewelry I was selling.

- [Rohit] Praful Vaid said before they finally decided to move to New Jersey in 1993, his wife would commute to the store from Manhattan.

- It was hard for her because she used to bring the three kids to the store with her.

It was difficult for her to take care of them in a small store at that time.

But she managed and and we just carried on at that point.

- [Rohit] Keeran Vaid said she saw the potential of Oak Tree Road becoming a booming business district.

- When I opened the store, I didn't expect this many people will come and join us, but everybody was realizing we can build up a community in here.

Then my sister came and Aanchal Sari, and then we push her to open a sari store and she started and then there are so many little stores came and then they started their own business.

- [Rohit] Mahesh Shaw arrived in the United States in 1975 with a pharmacy degree.

His intent, as was that of so many immigrants, was to make a better life and career for himself and his family by pursuing further studies in pharmacy.

While doing so, he also worked in the pharmacy industry in Connecticut and New York.

But his entrepreneurial mindset led him to start a business vastly different from pharmacy.

After his car broke down, he was overcharged for a part and treated poorly.

Shaw then decided he would get into the auto repair business himself.

- This guy charged me $485, which is okay, you know?

Everybody can make the price, but the way he treated me, the way he answered the phone every time I call him and follow up and everything, it bothered me.

This business, if it is done in a much better way with honesty and follow-up with the customer and treat the people right, I think this business have a good, good future.

- [Rohit] He learned about auto repair in just three months and opened four garages bearing the Quality Auto name.

The Oak Tree Road location in Iselin opened in 1992.

- I found a place in Woodbury Avenue and started Quality Auto.

Oak Tree Road had only three, four businesses, five businesses at that time.

The location was, I thought this was perfect.

It is in the middle surrounding all the people.

People from Monmouth and Ocean County can come here in 45 minutes, half an hour.

People from everywhere and there were a lot of local people.

I thought it has a potential but never knew it's going to grow this kind of booming businesses here.

- [Rohit] Indian food is vibrant and diverse.

Known for its rich flavors, aromatic spices, and a variety of regional dishes.

Each region brings its own unique ingredients and cooking techniques, resulting in a wide array of dishes, from creamy butter chicken and crispy dosas to savory street foods like kebabs and chaat.

Indian cuisine often features a balance of tastes, sweet, sour, spicy and tangy, and is celebrated for its use of spices such as cumin, turmeric, and cardamom, making it a truly sensory experience.

The same holds true for culinary specialties from other regions in South Asia.

The owner of the very first Indian restaurant to open in the Iselin section of Oak Tree Road shared his journey.

- I am from Punjab, India.

I came in this country August 8th, 1978.

That's the first time I land in New Jersey.

Then I stay almost one year in Kansas City because my father-in-law, he owned the restaurant over there, the Taj Mahal.

Then I moved to New Jersey and I opened the Ashoka Restaurant in this mall and with my father-in-law.

- [Rohit] Jaswant Singh opened Ashoka Indian restaurant in 1985.

Customers were few and far between initially, but things picked up with varying clientele.

- Mostly Indian people, and then the few people that know about the Indian food, they come in the restaurant.

- [Rohit] In 1990, Chandrakant Patel and his wife Sushila opened Chowpatty Restaurant on Oak Tree Road across from Quality Auto.

Patel never intended to move to the United States because he was content with running his father's wholesale businesses back in Gujarat, India.

But he was persuaded to apply for a US immigrant visa by family members who insisted it would be better for his children's future.

- I come and my brother stay in the Hilltop Apartment in Edison, so that's where my journey started in this country.

- [Rohit] Hilltop Apartments were the preferred first rental home for hundreds of South Asian immigrants who began to settle in the area from the late '70s onward.

Even today, the majority of those living in the complex are of South Asian heritage.

- I have experience for the business.

My wife is in cooking, she's very good.

So we think, "Okay, we start the restaurant here," so that's why we start this restaurant snack business and everything.

- [Rohit] They chose the name Chowpatty, a popular beach in Mumbai known for its variety of snack vendors with delicious offerings.

- After some struggle, we opened this restaurant and snacks.

That time, my wife's recipe, everything people like and we do carry on that.

- [Rohit] Indian snacks, especially vegetarian ones, play a central role in daily Indian life.

Whether it's a flavorful aloo paratha chaat, a tangy bhel puri mix, crispy pakoras, the classic samosa, or the irresistibly enticing pani puri prepared right before your eyes, these treats are perfect for satisfying a small craving or sparking your appetite.

- I really wanted to join the family business because growing up my whole life, I've been in the restaurant, I've been in the sweet shop and I've just seen the way that my parents worked with my grandparents, how my cousins are involved and my brother's involved and I kind of just wanted to get involved with that.

We got the filling in here.

- Okay, good.

Great, thanks.

- [Rohit] In the early 1970s, an electrical engineer from Vadodara, Gujarat, India immigrated to the United States.

- I arrived in November, middle of November 1972.

- [Rohit] Pradip Kothari studied at Villanova University and then worked in electrical engineering and in the field of nuclear medicine.

A friend who was Kothari's partner in a travel business back home in India convinced him to go into the same business in New Jersey.

- That's where I established Quick Travel in 1983 in the Woodbridge section on Route 35, and then I came to Oak Tree Road in 1990.

- [Rohit] Kothari said the reason for the move was simple.

- [Pradip] I decided to establish my business on Oak Tree Road, where I thought that might be a better future for my business.

- [Rohit] He saw a growing community in New Jersey that had a need and desire to stay connected with its Indian roots.

In 1981, Iqbal Virani immigrated to the United States from Goa, India.

Within a few years, he established one of the first Indian immigrant businesses on Oak Tree Road, Virani Jewelers.

- This diamond in the center is one carat.

- [Rohit] Virani's son Aqib, who works in the family business, described what he learned about the early days on Oak Tree Road.

- My father Iqbal Virani started the business in 1985.

Our first store was actually on Sugartree Plaza in Edison.

Central New Jersey saw a pretty big population growth of South Asians, especially Indians, in the '80s and '90s, so Oak Tree Road started thriving.

More and more business had opened up.

Today I would say there are probably over 200 Indian restaurants, 20 Indian jewelry stores, tens of clothing stores and grocery stores, so where we've come, we've come a long way.

- [Rohit] In 1983, Satish Mehtani and his wife Sneh opened their first Mogul Restaurant at New York's Penta Hotel across from Madison Square Garden.

In 1989, on their way back to Manhattan after a trip to Atlantic City, the couple were looking for an Indian restaurant.

They found one.

- We came to know that there is a restaurant, an Indian restaurant in Edison.

So we came here and after eating, we decided that this will be an ideal place because of the situation close to the train station, lot of parking and empty space, and we saw quite a few Indians in this area.

So we decided to open that Indian restaurant here.

- [Rohit] Just like Praful Vaid of Nina Jewelers, Satish Mehtani and his wife made a deal right on the spot at lunch with the owner of the restaurant on Oak Tree Road and soon became the new owners.

The Mehtanis renovated the existing Indian restaurant, renaming it Mogul, added a section named Ming serving Indo-Chinese food, and created a banquet hall next door for the community to host parties, weddings, and special events.

- This is coriander soup.

The recipe was created by my wife.

It is very popular.

If somebody has sinus or cold, this is the best remedy to take it, it will go.

Very nice.

It has all herbs, olives, cloves, turmeric, garlic, ginger, phalsa.

Very healthy, so just ingest, but a little spicy, be careful.

Good?

- Opened up the sinuses.

- [Mehtani] Opened the sinus.

- [Rohit] Edison Township honored the Mehtanis for their entrepreneurship and philanthropy by naming the access road into the plaza where their restaurant is located Mehtani Way.

(bright music) The South Asian immigrant roots on Oak Tree Road also featured the arts.

Sudha Grover grew up in Delhi, where she learned various classical styles of Indian dance.

She studied Odissi under guru Hari Krishna Bihala at the prestigious dance school Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in India.

After getting married and coming to the United States, she began the first Indian classical dance school on Oak Tree Road in Edison Township.

She started Sudhamini Dance Academy after doing a show at Woodbridge High School.

- A few years down the road, a friend started telling me, "Teach our daughters," and then I started teaching at home.

And in '94 is when I started at Oak Tree Road and this space was a little shed.

(laughs) It's actually being used by an accountant and he left and so I converted into my dance studio.

I teach Odissi, which is one of the foremost classical dances, eight now in India.

And I try to make sure that the girls learn this because it's a discipline, it's a whole art, it has a language.

Our dance is so steeped in Hindu religion and we pick up on so many stories.

So as they go along, they learn so much of what the religion is all about.

So they learn much more beyond the dancing itself.

So it's language and clothing and style and discipline.

(audience applauding) - [Rohit] On November 13th, 2006, John McCormac began his first day as mayor of Woodbridge, New Jersey's oldest township, incorporated in 1669.

He has vivid recollections of the changes through the years along Oak Tree Road.

- I got married in 1983 and my first house was two blocks off Oak Tree Road, up across the parkway toward Edison.

I grew up in Menlo Park Terrace, but we were very tied to Iselin.

So I went to St. Cecelia's church, I went to St. Cecelia's School, my whole family did.

We were all very active in the community, so Iselin was essentially our hometown.

So I literally watched Oak Tree Road when it flourished, I watched Oak Tree Road when it declined and became desolate, and I watched Oak Tree Road rebuild thanks to the Asian Indian businessmen and women who came in and invested in the town there.

- [Rohit] In 2022, Samip "Sam" Joshi became the first Indian American and youngest mayor of Edison Township at the age of 32.

Born and raised in Edison, he shared his take on the transformation of Oak Tree Road.

- I remember Oak Tree Road growing up very vividly and it was a lot of mom and pop shops that was a sense of community, a sense of pride because there were so few of them.

But locals from New Jersey and the Tri-State Area would come just to go to Oak Tree Road, get their groceries, get their sweets and their jewelry, things like that.

And as it progressed, it has gone from mom and pop shops to now multi-billion dollar corporations want to put flagship stores there.

- [Rohit] Oak Tree Road today presents a robust picture of thriving businesses owned by South Asians.

But in those early days, was it easy for the Indian immigrant population to establish its roots?

Not quite.

- We used to have people throwing eggs at our store.

We used to run after the kids who used to come throw with baseball bats, you know, run after them trying to protect ourselves.

So those were the days that this used to be really, I mean, it wasn't that easy, trust me.

(chuckles) - [Rohit] Jaswant Singh described the frequent attacks that plagued Ashoka Restaurant.

He kept a van parked behind the restaurant to store raw materials, including bags of large Spanish onions, an essential ingredient in Indian cuisine.

One evening, seven or eight individuals broke into the van, slashed several six pound bags of onions and tossed them into the mud, ruining a week's supply of produce that the restaurant relied on.

This vandalism he said became a nearly daily ordeal.

- Most of the time, sometimes the people they come out from the bar and actually, because I am Indian and look different, I have the turban- - [Rohit] He recounted how when he first opened the restaurant, the sign he placed outside to announce its opening was repeatedly sprayed with paint by vandals.

- I put the four-by-eight sign outside, Ashoka Indian Restaurant is coming soon.

Next day somebody sprayed and then I put another sign again, I replace.

Then somebody broke the sign.

Then it happened continuously three, four weeks.

They don't like that somebody have too many businesses in this area.

- We faced the vandalism.

That was there for at least three, four year.

- People throw the eggs, water guns, spray for water like that, and lot of vandalism.

Go put the eggs on our windows and everywhere.

- Before even I opened for business and completely renovated, all my glasses were broken and a lot of garbage and everything was thrown in the office.

Practically brand new office and very few people knew me there.

I didn't have any enemy and that's where my business life began and my involvement in community began, involvement with that incident.

- [Rohit] Peter Kothari was a key activist and spokesperson for the business community along Oak Tree Road in the face of increasing attacks on their businesses.

- When I inquired, most of the few businesses existing in the Iselin side or in the Edison side were having one opinion that there is a racism and that there is hate crime.

And it's not wise to walk on Oak Tree Road or in Edison, this area also, after four or five o'clock in the evening or afternoon.

- [Rohit] Reginald Johnson, the president of the NAACP in the Metuchen-Edison area, described how his group and others rallied alongside the Indian community in those days to get justice.

- It was back in 1989.

I received a phone call from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

They were very concerned, along with the prosecutor at the time, of the number of bias incidents that were taking place on Oak Tree Road.

So we put a team together and we went and met with the officials.

Initially, the officials were kind of not really looking at these particular bias incidents as seriously as we were looking at 'em.

We were able to identify the individuals who were responsible for the paint pellets and also the throwing the eggs against the businesses in the South Asian community.

- Two people who were the boss of this vandalism, they were arrested when they are 17.

So it was total four year hardship.

And then everything started to improve.

- We met with the community.

They decided not to press charges primarily because most of the perpetrators were juveniles and they didn't want to wreck their future.

And in the long run, I thought it was a great decision because as a result, all of the harassment stopped and I think it was a learning lesson for both sides.

- I told a few of the business people at that time, if you plan to live on this road and if you want to conduct your business and you want safety for your family, yourself and your customer, you have to find a way to work with the elected officials, law enforcement department.

You cannot live with fear.

- It was tense back then because there was a lot of resistance on the part of the long-time Iselin residents.

People just are resistant to change.

But in this case it was good change because I'd rather have a store, an Indian restaurant or an Indian jewelry store or an Indian sari shop than a vacant store.

So one by one, these boarded up buildings were taken over by the Asian Indian business community.

And that's good for the town.

And it was tense, but people now have become accepting of it.

- Across from us there was a bar that the motorcycle gangs used to hang out every night.

We didn't even realize that this is gonna be a problem down the road, but we just kind of went in there with it.

- Members of the state legislature- - [Rohit] Former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, who served as mayor of Woodbridge Township during most of the 1990s, recalled complaints from Oak Tree Road business owners about alleged harassment by biker gangs.

- We talked to the bikers and it was interesting because there was, as with most communities, a diversity of opinion.

I mean, some folks love the fact that the Indian community had come in and reopened shops and they felt that Oak Tree Road was somehow going to make it, others didn't, abhorred the change.

So it was important that I speak to them.

We weren't gonna tolerate vandalism.

One, not only it was illegal, which was sufficient in and of itself, but it carved against any sense of community.

You're not gonna play by the rules of the game, you're not gonna play by township's ordinances, well, that has a ramification for the bikers.

I think that conversation was honest, it was straightforward, and it accomplished its end.

I mean, it subsided.

It took some time.

I mean, bluntly, I have a shared responsibility 'cause I didn't have a close relationship with the bikers.

I might have seen the bikers, I had relationship with police officers that were bikers, but I didn't have the relationships that perhaps I ought to have had with these key biker constituencies.

- [Rohit] The decision of the early Indian business owners not to prosecute the perpetrators of bias attacks and vandalism against them helped bring the communities together.

Former Governor McGreevey recalls how he presided over what was known as the Special Improvement District Program for Oak Tree Road in Iselin when he was mayor.

- What was interesting was that the Indian community consistently made reinvestment after reinvestment.

When a new business came in, they did not allow it to deteriorate, but they upgraded their facade and the city worked with them in the Special Improvement District.

We actually provided long-term low interest loans so that if somebody wanted to upgrade their facade or upgrade their signage.

And so that's why it looked smart.

It looked clean.

There's an excitement because we brought this back and we sat around the table and we sort of questioned and we examined what works and what doesn't work.

- And one of the people who probably was at that table was Mahesh Shah of Quality Auto- - Yes!

- Who was- - Hey, my old friend.

- It's not surprising, it's shocking how fast it has grown and how successful it's been.

Again, when you're looking at boarded-up buildings and things that you don't want in your town.

And suddenly one by one, they become thriving and then one success leads to the next success.

We're seeing it on Main Street now.

First restaurant comes in and does well, another one opens.

They see the success, another one opens.

That's exactly what happened in Oak Tree Road.

The first one became the second one, became five more, became 10 more, and now it's the best around.

This is a very important business district to us.

And we talk to people and we listen to people and they talk to us and they listen to us and we get things done for them.

- [Rohit] And as Asian Indian businesses have increased on Oak Tree Road, so has the Asian Indian population in Woodbridge Township.

They now make up nearly a quarter of the township's 103,000 population count.

- We are a diverse town, one of the most diverse in the state.

And we try to reflect that diversity in our town council, in our board of education.

We want our boards to look like our town.

And that's why we have such an outreach and that's why the communities all feel welcome because the people running things in town look like the people who live in town.

We think that's incredibly important.

- [Rohit] Dipak Thaker, who is a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners in Iselin, agrees.

He says his role as a volunteer firefighter became increasingly important when he would help fellow firefighters communicate with a growing South Asian immigrant population on Oak Tree Road.

- The firehouse, we need the Indian people, and I'm serving with all these Indian people when they have a problem on Oak Tree Road, and some of inspectors say, "Oh, we need the language barrier guide."

So I go over there to help out with the Indian people and corresponding with all these people.

- [Rohit] Thaker said today several young South Asian Americans have followed in his footsteps by volunteering with the fire department, thereby serving the burgeoning Oak Tree Road community.

According to census figures, nearly 50% of Edison's population is Asian, 36% of which is Indian American.

Given that fact, Mayor Sam Joshi says he understands the expectations placed on his shoulders.

- I've wanted to serve as mayor since I was in third grade, and it's a goal that I've worked towards my entire life.

So I'm very proud and humble to be in this position right now, but it certainly comes with a set of responsibilities.

I am mindful that to a degree, I represent a large voice of the Indian American community.

I'm happy and humble to be here and I'm very mindful of that.

On an economic front, while retail is fading across most sectors across the country, within the minority, within the South Asian Indian American community, there is not enough real estate for retail.

We actually defy all the trends, where the retail market is so hot and thriving and the demand for real estate for local businesses is continuing to thrive.

People are paying not just a premium, but rather a super premium for retail space on Oak Tree Road and I see that only continuing to grow because we are going to continue to facilitate that development.

- [Rohit] Today, Oak Tree Road is a lively center of South Asian culture, a stark contrast to the initial years of resistance from the local community.

New stores and cultural centers continue to pop up to meet the growing needs of the community.

One nationally known grocery store chain, Patel Brothers, has three outlets on Oak Tree Road, two in Iselin and one in Edison.

Of the two Iselin stores, the first one was opened in 1987.

- When you come to Oak Tree Road, you feel our culture on the road.

You see traditional clothing stores, traditional restaurants, you get everything on Oak Tree Road and they have best groceries available on Oak Tree Road.

Everyone during long weekend, they want to go to Oak Tree Road.

They're going out, they ask for groceries.

Just bring some so many items.

They give a list.

"Oh, you are coming from Oak Tree Road?

Then bring me this stuff from Patel Brothers."

It's like that.

- [Rohit] Grocery stores on the strip import produce and supplies from around the globe to cater to the diverse tastes in South Asian cuisine.

- Most of the supplies come from India.

Some of them come from South Asian countries, beans and everything comes from even Australia also.

- [Rohit] Kaushik Patel estimates that there are at least 500 South Asian families living within a short walking distance from his Edison store, especially in the Hilltop Apartment Complex, and therefore can purchase fresh vegetables every single day.

The store also has an entire section devoted to baking fresh Indian rotis and parathas, or bread, besides a variety of other items.

(upbeat music) Because of the cultural significance of jewelry to the immigrant population, numerous jewelry outlets have sprung up on Oak Tree Road.

These stores serve customers from across the United States and around the world.

- South Asia has been investing in gold for generations, I would say thousands of years and it's been a very smart investment for them.

Price of gold has also changed from 1980s to now, I would say probably tenfold.

The mangala sutra is a significance of union, almost like how a wedding band concept is when they exchange rings.

So this is a very traditional piece.

It's called a vaddanum.

It's a waist belt and it's handed down from generations.

And the bribe will wear this also on her wedding day.

- It's a beautiful piece.

Is this handmade?

- A lot of our jewelry is handmade, made by the best craftsmen from all over the world.

India does have the best craftsmanship for this type of jewelry.

- [Rohit] Among the many businesses that Line Oak Tree Road are clothing stores.

They showcase a variety of ethnic wear for parties, weddings, and other celebrations for all ages.

Indian clothing is reflective of its history, cultural traditions, climate, and geographical topography, and is characterized by colors, intricate designs, embroidery and fabrics.

- This is a sari.

This is what my sari looked like this morning when I wore it.

It's six yards of fabric and it's all about how you tie it.

- [Rohit] Traditional Indian clothing for women includes the sari, lehenga choli, salwar, churidar, and kurta.

- So this outfit would be worn, I'll be wearing this only for my wedding ceremony.

I'd have a different outfit for my haldi, if I were doing a sangeet, the sangeet, garba, reception, whatever it is, typically this is only for the ceremony.

And red is the traditional bridal color?

- It is.

- That's the most amazing part for me, is that instead of having to go to India to shop for Indian clothes, I can just come to Oak Tree Road.

We've been talking about this forever.

- I'm excited.

- For so long.

- You guys have been coming to Oak Tree Road forever.

- Mainly for food, now we get to come for clothes so it's great.

- [Rohit] This couple frequents Oak Tree Road and are attending their first Indian wedding.

- When you're dancing with whatever you're dancing- - Ooh.

- The outfit moves with you.

- I like this way.

- [Rohit] Men's traditional wear is equally colorful and varied, including the sherwani, kurta pajama, dhoti, lungi, and Nehru jackets.

- When you wear a pajama, this is how most people wear it and of course it looks nice.

But I want to show you the difference between how I suggest you wear it and how you would generally wear it.

See now, this, you have all the pleats here and this is spread out and this is to the bottom.

Generally what you do is pull it up.

This is called a churidar pajama.

Churi means bangles.

Pajama is of course, whatever.

So you take and you pinch it, little by little, little by little, and you cluster it at the bottom at the ankle and you pull it down.

So now you look at, put the two legs together, see what a difference it is?

You don't have the bulking and the extra fabric here, which is not supposed to be there.

And when you do this, it's wider here, so it's more comfortable for you to sit.

So here I have a scarf that he can wear and it just elevates the whole look, even of the groom.

If you want, you can also add jewelry.

It's a choice you have.

You both look lovely together.

- Thank you.

Well, we feel beautiful.

- Thank you.

- [Rohit] Remember those delectable snacks we mentioned?

Well, there's no dearth of places you can find them, some with an international twist.

- Some of the fusion items that we have for the restaurant and caterings that we have is like the paneer tacos we have.

We have palak paneer ravioli, paneer makhani ravioli, pav nilo puffs, and just a bunch of new items that kind of just blend different nationalities of food together.

- [Rohit] The strip sees huge crowds during all major festivals, including Diwali, Eid, Christmas, and more.

And by all accounts, businesses get a huge boost during those festivals.

The Festival of Lights, Diwali in particular, attracts shoppers from throughout the United States who come to get a taste of the various sweets specially prepared by a variety of grocery stores and restaurants for the occasion.

A huge draw is freshly made jalebi, an Indian sweet that expert chefs go to great lengths to create literally by the hundreds at a time to the delight of customers who line up eagerly for their purchase.

- This is a very special time of the Diwali, Indian New Year.

And we are in the sweet business for last 35 years.

So people come to us especially to get gift baskets and sweets and everything.

- [Rohit] During Diwali, people shop on Oak Tree Road for items such as earthen lamps or diyas, incense sticks, statuettes, garlands, and of course, lights and fireworks.

Lights are especially important during Diwali, and just about every home that celebrates the festival ensures it is brightly lit for the occasion.

To get it all under one roof, shoppers would go to a retailer on Oak Tree Road, like Butala Emporium.

- Diwali is the festival of lights, so the common items that all Indian household uses is diyas.

They use a lot of colors, lot of lights, clay diyas, fireworks, and puja is also an essential part of Diwali.

So a lot of puja items, prayer items.

- [Rohit] And not surprisingly, jewelry stores see an extra rush of customers.

The stores are especially lit up for the occasion.

- People were buying jewelry according to seasons, like when it is the Diwali time, then parents like mostly ladies will buy like big sets, bangles and those things.

If it is Mother's Day, then kids will buy for their mom.

And then Christmas time, mostly daddy buys for each person in the house.

It goes according to season and according to occasion.

So people buy jewelry, it is an investment and to wear it.

- Tonight we're celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights.

This is the largest festival- - [Rohit] Edison Township now holds an annual Diwali festival in another part of town.

- When we started and we kicked off the idea of hosting Diwali, just like we do with Christmas or Winter Wonderland, we thought that it might have a few hundred, maybe a thousand people attend it if we were lucky.

That first time we held it, ended up being about 15,000 people and that was the largest Diwali celebration in the country.

The following year, this past year it actually grew and we had a very well-known artist, Jay Sean come and attend.

People were talking about Edison's Diwali Festival at the White House.

- [Rohit] The fall festival of Navaratri, which is nine nights long, is credited by the pioneers on Oak Tree Road with putting the area on the world map, even though it does not actually take place on Oak Tree Road.

Peter Kothari of Quick Travel spearheaded Navaratri festivities for years.

(upbeat Indian folk music) Parades are a tradition on Oak Tree Road.

Years ago, they featured horse-drawn carriages and automobiles.

Today, the biggest annual parade, the India Day Parade, is hosted by the Indian Business Association to celebrate India's Independence Day.

- The biggest thing in New Jersey parade is the hospitality.

People are so enthusiastic.

(crowd shouting) - The India Day parade start from Edison to Woodbridge.

And the beginning, like 25, 30,000 people.

Right now, last few years, 75 to 100,000 people come around there to here.

- [Rohit] Featuring traditional Indian music, dancers, and colorful floats, it has over the years been led by well-known Indian movie stars as grand marshal.

- It's going to be one of my most beautiful memories that I take from the United States.

- [Rohit] The parade attracts thousands of people from across New Jersey and neighboring states.

More recently, Pakistan Day celebrations have also been taking place on Oak Tree Road.

In a sign of the growing South Asian presence, new establishments in the area are being set up by the Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani communities among others.

- [Man] I don't think there's any other place in the whole world where you can compare with Oak Tree Road.

- The stretch of Oak Tree Road in Iselin heading into Edison is internationally known.

There's a store, I don't know which one, but it's got Bombay, Calcutta, London, Paris, Iselin.

That says all you need to know, that all these major international cities are sharing a location of this door with Iselin, New Jersey.

- So what is the future of Oak Tree Road?

Well, no one here would be surprised if it expands even further, stretching all the way more into Edison Township and into the Green Street section of Iselin.

By all accounts, they expect it to happen sooner rather than later.

(bright music) - [Announcer] Major funding for this program provided by Piyush J. Patel.

Additional funding made possible by the New Jersey Historical Commission, Anil and Kumud Bansal Foundation, and Suresh Chugh.

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