It seems this is the right time to sing the kids’ rhyme,
‘Two little dickie birds sitting on a wall,
One named Peter, one named Paul.
Fly away Peter! Fly away Paul!
Come back Peter! Come back Paul’.
You must be surprised why I am recollecting the kids’ poem here.
But, if you are aware, an Indian, in fact, a young Indian, was shot dead recently in the US. Surprisingly, no one wants to take the responsibility of this hate crime. Who, according to you, should be blamed for his death? The racist who attacked him; the president of the US who endorsed racism; or else the people there who stand as a silent victim for choosing the ‘wrong man’ as their leader.
At this point of time, no one has the answer for this question.
But silently, all minds are thinking alike; should they continue sending their kids and kiln to the country of their dreams to cherish their dreams or not!
While they continue battling with their future aspirations, the figures released by The Southern Poverty Law Center data also continue to ring an alarming bell.
It says that within 10 days of Trump being elected president, 867 hate crimes have been reported in the country.
The racists got a shelterage when soon after the victory of Trump, words like ‘Make America White Again’ were pasted across the softball dugout wall in Wellsville, New York giving a clear indication how the new president gave a free hand to the racist policy.
Now, the only question appearing in each Indian’s mind is that with such tension mounting in the US, will Indians’ love story with the US continue or will it turn into a hate story?
Will Indians continue travelling to the US to realise their dreams or will they love staying back in India? Also, if Indians start returning to their motherland, will US be able to survive the jitters?
According to Pew reports released in 2014, Indian Americans are among the most highly educated racial or ethnic groups in the US.
70% of Indian Americans aged 25 and older had college degrees in 2010, by far the highest rate among the six Asian-American groups studied and 2.5 times the rate among the overall US. population.
Also, in 2011, 72,438 Indians received H1-B visas, 56% of all such visas granted that year. Indians in the US are also well off; The Median annual household income for Indian Americans in 2010 was $88,000, much higher than for all Asian Americans ($66,000) and all U.S. households ($49,800) — perhaps not surprising, given their high education levels. Only 9% of adult Indian Americans live in poverty, compared with 12% of Asian Americans overall and 13% of the U.S. population.
The Indians are also contributing to the US economy is different segments. While in 2010, by Pew analysis, only 28% of Indian American worked in science and engineering fields; in 2013, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, more than two-thirds (69.3%) of Indian Americans 16 and older were in management, business, science and arts occupations.
Now, when their survival seems threatened, don’t you think they should come back; let the world economy see what could be the result of being a racist nation at a time when the world has become a global village.
The silence of the US president, in this case, unleashes the kind of terror which has seeped in the premises of the ‘once haven for skilled labourers’. The future of skilled employees is secured, as other countries are inviting them, but the future of the US seems uncertain with its own countrymen standing against their President.
Will US economy tumble down with Trump effect or will it continue facing the cripples of uncertainty during ‘racist times’? Let time answer; so let’s wait and watch!