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Isha Kumari
A century ago, Indians were the underclass and not wanted – because of their skin colour. There were anti-Indian riots in the state of Washington in 1907. In 1935, some California establishments displayed ominous signs: “No jobs for Japs or Hindus”. In the 1970s and 1980s Indian women wearing ‘bindi‘ on their forehead were sometimes attacked.
Now the situation is totally changed.
Today Indians in America between 25 to 55 years of age earn on an average 133,000 dollars a year, which is well above the 86,000 dollars per year earned by an average white American. Though only 1% of the US population, Indians pay 6% of US taxes. About 8% founders of high-tech companies in USA are Indians, as are one third of tech start-up’s in Silicon Valley in California. Indian doctors are some of the most respected doctors in America. Some Indian entrepreneurs in America are billionaires, and many hotels and motels are owned by Indians. American Universities have many Indian professors in science, mathematics, engineering and medicine.
How did all this happen? There are several reasons, and I have understood them by my own visits to America and observing Indians living there:
1.Hard work: Indians who migrated to USA came into a land with a different culture, and with a majority white population. While the white youth had a degree of family support, the Indian was alone in a foreign land, and with a darker colour. So, to survive he quickly realized he must work much harder than whites, as that was the only way he could compete and prove his worth.
2. Honesty and reliability: Though there is an occasional crook, almost all Indians are honest, and are therefore regarded totally reliable by their employers.
3. Higher education: Over 80% Indians living in America are highly qualified, with many having a master’s degree in science, engineering, mathematics, etc. On the other hand, only about a third of white Americans have a bachelor’s degree. So naturally Indians get better jobs (many are CEOs in reputed companies).
4. Close family ties: Indian immigrants, coming from a land of close family ties, brought this culture and value with them. This was particularly important in a foreign land where they initially had difficulty in adjusting, as it provided a support base. Divorce rate is only about 1.3% among Indians in America, whereas it is high among other ethnic groups (40% among blacks).
5. Parents: Indians are usually very good parents. They sacrifice a lot for their children, and devote a lot of time to them, despite their busy work schedule. In particular, they take a lot of interest in their children’s education. Not only does the child learn in school, he/she is often taught in addition at home by the parents, who help them in their homework, e.g., in Maths (which I myself saw when visiting a relative in California).
Apart from education, Indian parents keep a careful eye on their children to ensure that he/she does not go astray. Indian children rarely consume drugs, and there is no Indian mafia or gang in America.
