What Makes Indian Americans Different?

The new Netflix series Indian Matchmaking made it to the top-10 list in the US. A few weeks earlier, another series — Never Have I Ever, with an Indian-American protagonist — had also cracked the top ten. As an Indian American living in the US for the past twenty years, I'm happy — and it got me thinking about the journey of Indian immigrants.

Today, Indians are among the highest-earning immigrant groups in the US. The median Indian-American household income was over $130,000, compared to about $85,000 for white households (Pew/Census data from the late 2010s) — and today the numbers would be higher. This voyage was onerous and full of obstacles; Indian immigration to the US has been arduous, to say the least.

The early Indians came to America to work on railroads. They were ill-treated — to the extent that they couldn't even ride the rails they had helped build. Even after living on American soil for decades, they were ineligible for citizenship under the Naturalization Act of 1790. When immigrants were pouring in from Europe in the early 1900s, the Immigration Act of 1917 downright barred Indians. It was only in 1965, with amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act, that Indians started entering the US in any numbers. One thing that makes Indian immigration unique: roughly three-quarters of Indian immigrants hold a bachelor's or master's degree and are considered highly skilled labor. Education is what defines Indian immigrants.

Education is important to Indians. Even in low-income housing in Indian towns, nearly everyone recognizes the value and urgency of education — and this is amplified among Indians in the US. Most after-school academic enrichment centers have a very high percentage of Indian-origin children. Indian children dominate Spelling Bees and Math Olympiads because households treat academic growth as the priority. If a US school district runs a gifted program, Indian children often make up a large share of participants. It's not that Indian immigrants only focus on academics — they invest in their children, period: music, sports, other extracurriculars. But when funds are limited, academics get priority — and the results show.

Most Indian families are deeply involved in their children's growth — not just financially, but in daily life. To an outsider, it could look like mollycoddling; maybe it is. The sense of parental duty is very high: if a household can afford college for a child, it is nearly a given that the parents will gladly pay.

Very few Indian Americans live below the poverty line, and few are part of any gangs. Most Indian Americans immigrate to the US legally — and their choice of clothing is seldom an indication of their deep pockets.

Originally published July 2020.