The United
States of America is a country like no other. It remains the 'go to'
destination for all those who aspire to live the American dream anywhere in the
world! For the aspirational middle class of India it is like a magnet and
students flock in massive numbers to study in American universities and then
work in the Silicon Valley, hospitals and other industries in America. As many
as 211,930 Indian students were recorded in the United States as of 2022, and Indian
students pumped USD 7.6 billion into the US economy during the 2019-20 period.
The country-cap
on Green Cards has been slammed as 'discriminatory' by
Indian-American advocacy groups, particularly because its leaves qualified
Indian professionals in the US waiting for decades to obtain permanent
residency. Permanent residency is an important factor for many
Indian students, and this is reflected in comparative admission rate
trends in the US and Canada. US lawmakers have expressed their
disapproval of the US immigration system that has driven international
students, particularly those from India, north to Canada. This is particularly because
Indian Americans
are the second-largest immigrant group in the United States. As the number of
Indian-origin residents in the United States has swelled north of 4 million, so too has their economic, political,
and social influence. But how Indian Americans choose to deploy this influence
remains an open question. Their economic, academic, social and political
influence is palpable and as a group they punch far above their weight. If you
are interested in looking at how Indians are faring in the US then just click
on this Wikipedia hyperlink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_Americans
Four Indian Americans
have received the Nobel Prize – Dr. Hargobing Khorana (1968), Subramanyan
Chandrashekar (1983), Venkataraman Ramakrishnan (2009) and Abhijit Banerjee
(2019). At least 50 Deans and Presidents of educational and research
institutions, more than 20 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and innumerable
number of high end performers in the field of Medicine & Healthcare,
Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, Art & Entertainment,
Media, Business and Literature all people of Indian origin today call America
their home!
So, what makes the US such a talent magnet that attracts so many middle
class Indians. Why are Indian parents taking big bank loans, mortgaging their
properties, to buy education in American universities and ultimately a successful,
fruitful and comfortable American life for their children? Honestly, I don’t
know the answer. The rise in disposable income has led to a large number of
middle class families aspiring for a better quality of life and their children
gaining exposure to global education. Compared to the past, parents now have
greater flexibility when it comes to sending their children overseas. They have
access to various methods of funding their child’s education and hence reduce
the burden of financial hurdles and paperwork. A global education opportunity goes a long way
in enhancing their children’s chances of securing a better quality of life,
career prospects and in acquiring skills required to ace the international job
market. It also allows students to gain an edge over the talent pool in their
home country.
But, the question remains, why America? As a visitor my impression of
this country is…..mixed. It is neither the most beautiful, nor the most
peaceful and nowhere close to home. From having the world's largest
economy to the largest national debt, the largest energy consumer and food
waster, this country, the U.S.A, is one of its kind. Take a look at these
eye-opening numbers:
1. The
population had exceeded 321 million people by the end of the year 2015. Some
62.6% of the US population is white, whereas a further 17% of the population is
Hispanic or Latin American. African Americans account for 13.2% of the
population. The remaining percentage of the total consists of Asian Americans,
Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific
Islanders, as well as those that have at least two races in their ethnic
makeup.
2. During the
2015 tax year, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assessed a total income
tax of $1.454 trillion on Americans from a total of 150.6 million tax returns.
This showed that the average American owed $9,655 in income tax at the time the
statistics were collected. Seeing as the average gross income for Americans was
calculated at $71,258 in 2015, this equates to an effective federal income tax
rate of 13.5%.
3. The US
national debt has increased by a factor of more than 68 since 1960. During that
year, the figure stood at a relatively reasonable $286 billion, however it is
soon set to break through the $20 TRILLION barrier by the end of this year.
This figure means that the US national debt is now in excess of 105% of its
gross domestic product. In other words, the country is in more debt than the
total value of goods it produces and services it provides over the course of a
year.
4. Covering some
665,384 square miles, Alaska is by far the largest US state. In fact, it’s well
over twice the size of Texas, which covers 268,596 square miles. On the other
hand, at just 1,544 square miles, Rhode Island is almost 1,000 square miles
smaller than the next smallest state – Delaware. This means that Rhode Island
can fit into Alaska no less than 429 times.
5. Residents of
the United States are among the most resource-intensive people on earth, with
the average American using 35 times more resources than the average person in
India. Sadly, Americans have become a “disposable” culture as a result.
The most shocking statistic in this regard is food wastage, with at least
one-third of all food in the United States being thrown away without being
eaten. Each day, Americans throw away a mind-blowing 1.4 billion tons of
waste.
6. Despite the
US population accounting for just 4.4% of the global total, the country uses
18% of the world’s entire energy supply. In contrast, China accounts for some
19.6% of the global population, however it only overtook the US as the world’s
largest energy consumer in 2011.
7. Americans
believe in a lot of spiritual or supernatural things, as well as conspiracy
theories. Some 42% of them believe that ghosts are real, with the percentage
rising to 77% for those that believe in angels. A particularly telling figure
is the 7% of the population that believes the moon landings were faked, as is
the 40% figure for Americans who believe that global warming has nothing to do
with human activity.
8. There are
almost 256 million vehicles in the United States shared between over 321
million people, meaning that the country has the highest number of vehicles per
capita in the entire world (barring the microstate of San Marino and the
principality of Monaco). For every 1,000 US inhabitants, there are 797 cars.
9. Sometimes,
the American dream remains well out of reach for people, even after they’ve
been to college and (inevitably) piled on a mountain of debt to pay for it. The
United States is home to 115,000 janitors that hold college degrees, which is a
reflection of the so-called “higher education bubble”, which has seen more than
50% of recent college graduates facing underemployment or unemployment. There
are also 83,000 bartenders, 80,000 truck drivers and 323,000 waiters and
waitresses that hold college degrees in the United States.
10. According
to the worldwide consulting company, Gallup, the United States is the second
most generous country in the world after Myanmar (formerly Burma). While
Myanmarese generosity is driven by the Buddhist belief in a good deed serving
individuals well when they come to be reincarnated, US generosity is driven by
a sense of civic duty – to the point where, in 2014, Americans gave away over
$258 billion to non-profit organizations. Needless to say, generosity and
politics go hand in hand, but there is no denying that U.S aid is always
amongst the first to reach in an hour of crisis anywhere in the world.
The most important magnet that draws immigrants to the U.S is its economy. Over the last five decades it has held 24 to 25% of the share of Global GDP. It outlasted one potential economic competitor Japan, whose GDP rose to 70% of the U.S GDP in mid 90s and it outmaneuvered one military competitor, the erstwhile USSR. In fact, the U.S spends more on military than the next 10 powers combined and so can call the shots in all the continents. China threatened to overtake it after three decades of stellar growth but is now stalling and sliding back. A strong economy, a vibrant democracy, a multi cultural, multi ethnic and multi-religious society and innumerable opportunities all form a heady cocktail for immigrant talents.
The United
States has a long tradition of welcoming people from all backgrounds and
cultures as is a great place for people that are looking to live outside of
their home country. Education, health, career opportunities, economy are all
favourably stacked for immigrants. Science and technology is at its cutting
edge and that takes care of the FOMO (fear of missing out) factor among the competitive
lot. Living space is affordable and culinary culture is diverse to suit every
palate. Travel and transportation is easy and it can be a paradise for nature
lovers. All this when they come together favourably, what you get is living ‘the
great American dream!’
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