I came to America 32 years ago with my former husband from India, a country that would surely qualify as what this president called a "shithole".
It is poor, underdeveloped and polluted, where—as one reader helpfully pointed out—people literally shit on the streets. Between my ex and me, we had two suitcases, $1,200 (the maximum foreign currency India allowed a couple to take out from the country), zero connections—and a ton of youthful obtuseness. Thanks to the last item, we saw only the possibilities of America and none of the challenges of making it in a new country where we had no family and few friends. Over the years, without ever collecting a dime in welfare, we managed to put ourselves through graduate school and our son, who is now working on his Ph.D. in economics, through one of the finest private schools in the country.
We are damn proud of what we've achieved. But the truth is that among Indian Americans, our story is so commonplace that talking about it would be sure-fire way to kill a good Bollywood bhangra party. Indeed, by most objective metrics Indian Americans are the most successful group in America.
It would not be unfair to call public (government) schools in India hellholes in a "shithole." Yet children of Indians in America kick ass when it comes to spelling bees. They won 10 of these contests in a row from 1998 to 2008—and in 2005, the top four contestants were all of Indian origin.
And it's not just mindless rote learning that Indians excel at, although that is a particular forte. About 70 percent of Indian Americans over 25 years old have college degrees—2.5 times more than the general U.S. population and 40.6 percent of them have graduate or professional degrees.
They are just one percent of the American population, but 3 percent of its engineers, 7 percent of its IT force, and 8 percent of its physicians and surgeons. Some 10-20 percent of all tech start-ups have Indian founders. Indeed, a joint Duke University-UC Berkeley study revealed that between 1995-2005, Indian immigrants founded more engineering and technology companies than immigrants from non-shithole countries like UK, China, Taiwan and Japan combined. They have risen to the top ranks in major companies like Satya Nadella in Microsoft, Sundar Pichari in Google and Indra Nooyi in Pepsico.
All of this—not to mention the Patel motel "cartel"—has made them the richest ethnicity (not just minority) in America. Their median income, as per the last census, is over $100,000—almost double that of the rest of the population. Their poverty rate is a good four points below the overall rate. And five of them are among Forbes top 400 richest people in America. This is even more remarkable because Indian Americans don't have ancestors going back generations and hence little social support. In fact, over 87 percent of Indian American adults in America weren't born here and 37.6 percent of them have been here about 10 years.
Indian Americans are living proof that hailing from "shithole" countries is no barrier to success in America (and, conversely, hailing from lovelier places is no guarantee of avoiding failure). Immigrants who choose to come to America don't in any meaningful way resemble the stereotypes of their native lands. Indeed, countries become "shitholes" because they are led by assholes. But these presiding assholes are no measure of the "quality" of the people they are governing.
And that too is good news for America.
#1: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#0)
I wonder if this Trump hating liberal bitch is willing to list every curry smelling low-life shitbag that's migrated here over the years?
I doubt it... she's only interesting in the YELLA SPIN.... let's just talk about the success stories.
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 10:09:11 Reply Private Reply
#2: A K A Stone To: GrandIsland (#1)
What is yella?
She seems like a decent person. Came here and worked hard.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-01-13 10:26:36 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: A K A Stone (#2)
There are millions more just like her.
My kids' pediatrician was from India.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-13 10:41:04 Reply Private Reply
#4: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#3)
The guy who sells me v8 juice is an indian.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-01-13 10:42:49 Reply Private Reply
#5: Tooconservative To: GrandIsland (#1)
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 11:15:10 Reply Private Reply
#6: GrandIsland To: A K A Stone (#2)
Just two TWEETS from the nasty twat...
shikha sood dalmia @shikhadalmia · 20h
5 Reasons Why Low Skilled Immigrants are Good for the Economy and Trump's phony merit-based plan is BS:
shikha sood dalmia @shikhadalmia · Jan 11
With a third rate leader like Trump , America may become one of those shitholes that he was berating.
Do you need more to know she hates Trump? Did you actually think DickTard would post ANYTHING written by a Trump supporter?
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 11:25:48 Reply Private Reply
#7: GrandIsland To: Tooconservative (#5)
Not only did I read it, but I researched the cunt after I read it.
I won't be indoctrinated by DickTards propaganda. That's his AGENDA here.
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 11:28:08 Reply Private Reply
#8: Tooconservative To: GrandIsland (#7)
What? I had no idea you didn't like Deckard.
I should try to be the peacemaker.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 11:37:07 Reply Private Reply
#9: A K A Stone To: GrandIsland (#6)
Ok got ya.
Yes Deckard does post some things favorable to Trump.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-01-13 11:41:32 Reply Private Reply
#10: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#7)
In America, it shouldn't matter where you come from. What should matter is what you do once you get here.
The author Shikha Dalmia has made a compelling case for Indian Americans.
Her dislike of Trump aside - her meassage is the truth.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-13 12:01:15 Reply Private Reply
#11: Deckard To: A K A Stone, GrandIsland (#9)
I've posted plenty of those, and plenty that have been somewhat unfavorable.
I am under the impression that this forum is open to considering all sides of an issue.
Some here apparently want the site to be an echo chamber.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-13 12:04:38 Reply Private Reply
#12: no gnu taxes To: Deckard (#0)
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-01-13 12:22:55 Reply Private Reply
#13: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#10)
Is it coincidental, that filthy snowflake liberals defend their liberal positions by claiming the opposition is crazy, like libtard chink Dr. Bandy X. Lee?
Why is your M. O. right in line with libtard MSM? Is it because you are libtard MSM?
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 13:21:35 Reply Private Reply
#14: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#13)
Really man - look at some of the rants you post here. Maybe you aren't mentally unstable, I don't know for sure.
I do know that you are one angry, volatile mofo who's a ticking time-bomb primed to go off when he sees someone driving a car with a Ron Paul bumper sticker.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-13 13:29:32 Reply Private Reply
#15: Tooconservative To: Deckard, GrandIsland (#14)
You don't have to worry until G.I. takes to the rooftops. : )
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 13:48:26 Reply Private Reply
#16: buckeroo To: Tooconservative, Deckard (#15)
I am more worried about those hidden cretins that read and are getting ideas from GI.
buckeroo posted on 2018-01-13 13:54:50 Reply Private Reply
#17: Tooconservative To: buckeroo (#16)
Sure, that great horde of lurkers that wait with baited breath for one of LF's ~15 regulars to post something.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 14:10:34 Reply Private Reply
#18: Fred Mertz To: Tooconservative (#17)
Fred Mertz posted on 2018-01-13 14:12:49 Reply Private Reply
#19: Tooconservative To: Fred Mertz (#18)
Whatever. It was a phony word made up by Shakespeare for Merchant of Venice. No one else has ever used it.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 14:31:55 Reply Private Reply
#20: buckeroo To: Tooconservative, A K A Stone, 2018 Fund Raiser! (#17)
Maybe we need a fund raiser to bring awareness to our brand of discussion.
buckeroo posted on 2018-01-13 14:33:21 Reply Private Reply
#21: Tooconservative To: buckeroo, Liberator, A K A Stone, Fred Mertz (#20)
To make that work, Stone would have to amputate one (or two) limbs and then have an idiot son to pull the plug on the LF server intermittently.
I'm not sure how well it would work.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 14:43:37 Reply Private Reply
#22: GrandIsland To: Tooconservative (#15)
Not anymore. I only police from my office. 95% of the people I arrest, never even see me until it's court time.
Easy peasy... the only way to work a retirement gig.
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 14:55:28 Reply Private Reply
#23: GrandIsland To: Tooconservative (#17)
Ha.... truth.
That shit was funny.
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 14:56:43 Reply Private Reply
#24: Tooconservative To: GrandIsland (#22)
What a letdown.
I can only cling to the hope that you are still hording 50,000 primers. Don't take away my dreams, G.I.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-01-13 15:12:41 Reply Private Reply
#25: GrandIsland To: Tooconservative (#24)
I have more than that, now.
lol
GrandIsland posted on 2018-01-13 15:13:56 Reply Private Reply
#26: rlk To: Deckard (#0)
They have excellent memories. This along with a measure of conformity guarantees them academic success. But they have difficulty applying and understanding what they memorize. In the physical sciences a convesation with them often degerates into a quotation of chess-thumping equations from an advanced math book along with assertions that you need an advanced degree like they have. When it comes to hands on application they become shakey, blunder, and back off. For getting anything concretely productive I'll take Chinese or Japanese rather that a useless showpiece.
rlk posted on 2018-01-13 19:45:39 Reply Private Reply
#27: jeremiad To: Deckard (#0)
jeremiad posted on 2018-01-13 21:05:37 Reply Private Reply
#28: no gnu taxes To: GrandIsland (#22)
How do you arrest someone without ever seeing them?
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-01-14 03:24:44 Reply Private Reply
#29: no gnu taxes To: rlk (#26)
Yeah, but they can run that damn "Quickee Mart"; that's for sure.
"Take your purchases and get out and thank you and come again."
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-01-14 03:30:26 Reply Private Reply
#30: rlk To: jeremiad (#27)
Certainly. Marharajas (sp) invented the priceless so-called Arabic numeral system and the alloy components used in the Damascus sword blade as a hobby to fill their lesure time. For the average Indian, the top of the line was swimming in the Ganges with the crocodiles.
rlk posted on 2018-01-14 04:57:22 Reply Private Reply