A REPORT carried by some Indian newspapers threw up some pretty amazing statistics. The report stated that 12 per cent of scientists, 38 per cent of doctors, 36 per cent of the scientists at NASA, 34 per cent of the employees at Microsoft, 28 per cent at IBM, 17 per cent at Intel and 13 per cent at Xerox are Indian-Americans. The report later turned out to be unsubstantiated; and the figures are probably exaggerated. However, there is no gainsaying the reality that, in relation to their physical numbers, a disproportionate percentage of Indian-Americans hold down high -end jobs and professions in America.

 

Is this a good or bad thing? Obviously, it’s great if you happen to be Indian-American, although Americans from other ethnic groups may find it a cause for resentment. The question to be asked is: is it fair? At the risk of being accused of bias - being an Indian myself – I would say yes. After all, there aren’t a large number of Indian-Americans at NASA, IBM and Microsoft, because they get any preferential treatment. They compete for the jobs just like other Americans. Those companies choose to recruit them for their capabilities; because they believe the Indians would provide better returns on their investment. Indian employees don’t mind putting in long hours. Weekend activities rarely take precedence over work. The companies are in business, not charity. And given the fact that this trend has become apparent for almost two decades now, it is obviously working for them.

 

Looking at it another way, Americans belonging to other ethnic groups have the same education opportunities as Indian-Americans. The vast majority of Indian-American kids go to public schools; only a handful attend elite private ones. They receive the same quality of education, as everyone else. So why is it that these kids tend to get higher grades? Why have Indian-American kids virtually dominated school Spelling Bees over the past decade? Why is it that the school dropout rate for Indian-American kids is negligible?

 

The answer to that lies in the Indian psyche. Sure, almost all immigrants to America are seeking the American dream, but Indians realise, right at the start, that it is not going to be handed to them on a platter. They are going to have to work for it – and work hard. They have left their homeland for a better future, which primarily translates into a good income. Good jobs will come only with high academic scores. That is why, for Indian-American parents and their kids, education is the key. High school is not something to be endured, but a stepping-stone to success. In Indian-American homes, education is a family affair. Parents are actively involved; helping with the homework; heaping their wrath on any son or daughter, who dares to get anything less than a B; and pulling all-nighters with their kids when exams approach. And it doesn’t end there. For a typical Indian-American student, the ultimate dream is getting into an Ivy League college. And he knows that it is going to take a bit more than just good grades. That is why so many Indian-American kids, egged on by their parents, are into extra-curricular activities. They realise it’s going to look good on their resumes.

 

Another characteristic of Indian-Americans is that they gravitate towards technology and science. The preferred careers are engineering and medicine, sometimes law, because that is where they perceive the money to be. Stanford and MIT score over Harvard and Yale. The reason for this is that, back home, the arts and humanities are luxuries for those who can afford it. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in India, the only kind of job you can aspire to is a clerk in a small office. In fact, in India, getting into engineering or medicine is considered so important that students sometimes commit suicide because of poor exam scores.

 

Of course, the desire for wealth can be a double-edged sword. There was the recent case of an Indian-American doctor in Las Vegas, who lost his license because he instructed his staff to reuse syringes and injections. He already was a millionaire, but his greed was great enough to risk ending his career, just to save a few thousand bucks.

 

Family, for Indian-Americans, is very important. Most sons and daughters stay with their parents, until they get married. They do this partly to save on rent and food, but mainly because that is how things are and always have been. Also, parents are very rarely shunted off to old age homes after they retire. Their kids support them, financially and otherwise, because, for them, it is the natural thing to do.

 

Speaking of families, who can forget the Patels? They are not necessarily related, but come from the same region in India. It is estimated that around three-fourths of all small motels (I’m not talking about Holiday Inn and such) in America are owned or operated by this enterprising clan. In fact, the natives jokingly refer to the motels as Potels. It works for them, because it is literally a family affair. Their employees are brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, cousins, aunts and uncles. They don’t complain and don’t mind working late, without overtime. Profits are high, because overheads are low.

 

The desire for wealth stems partly from security concerns and partly from one up man-ship. For relatives back home in India, particularly if they live in cities, home is usually a 500 square foot, one bedroom apartment. When Indian-Americans go home for a visit and show off pictures of a two-storey house with a front lawn and a back garden, they are looked at with awe and reverence. It’s a nice feeling.

 

A recent trend observed among Indian-Americans is an interest in American politics. It is no secret that Hillary Clinton has received substantial funding for her election campaign from wealthy Indian-Americans. Indian-American, Bobby Jindal, who was recently elected Governor of Louisiana, is being talked about as Presidential material. He is being seriously considered as a possible running mate to John McCain. This seems unlikely but, at a time when a women and an African-American are running for President, anything is possible.