A elderly Hindu man reading what appeared to be an Indian newspaper outside of an old motor court on Main Street in Bamberg, S.C., represents how more foreign-born people are moving into the rural South. The man, who couldn’t speak English, was identified by a hotel employee as “Mr. Patel.” His stark white, pressed outfit stood out on a sunny day in the parking lot of the Relax Inn against the bright blue doors of its 22 rooms.
“At first, I was surprised to see someone of Indian descent in Bamberg,” said Charleston photographer Michael Kaynard, noting that S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, also of Indian descent, grew up in Bamberg. “But I figured his family probably followed another family to this rural town.
“It reminded me that my grandparents emigrated to the United States around 1900 and they came to avoid oppression.”
Just over 30 percent of the 15,987 people in Bamberg County in 2010 lived below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census. The county included 254 people born outside of the United States. The majority of residents are black (61.5 percent) with whites comprising 36.1 percent. Some 1.6 percent of residents are Latino while 0.4 percent are of Asian descent like Mr. Patel.
Photo taken May 6, 2013, by Michael Kaynard, Kaynard Photography.
- QuickFacts about Bamberg County from the U.S. Census.