Question about India (H1Bs)

[wolfman]

I considered asking this in the ask the Indian thread a while ago, But it’s a bit more of a complex issue, so I waited and gave it it’s own thread.

I work in IT and have worked and do work with dozens of H1Bs, primarily from India. I’m a little curious about the background of most of these workers.

With people from the U.S. From their voice, their vocubulary, their actions, and what they say I can usually get a sence about there background, which gives me an idea when it is polite to just shut up,but I have no idea how to guage the folks from India.

The issue it raises if I wonder if I might be making them uncomfortable. For example at work we got into a discussion of the issues in Burma, and it kind of evolved into southeast Asia in general and the people and the widespread areas of total poverty. It was all speaking academically, not judgmentally, and openly about the politics.

Now I know India has some really horrible povery itself in areas, with lives Ireally just can’t understand.

I always assumed that most of the H1Bs came from middle class at least, since IT education at that level isn’t cheep anywhere in the world, and poor people would have difficulty affording it. But I don’t really know.

So my survey is this for people who know more about the issue. Are they usually middle class, or is it likely many of them came from deep poverty, and want to kick me in the head when I bitch about the price of food/gas etc. And for people who Immigrated or work in wealthier countries. Does it make you uncomfortable when people talk your initial country? Like I said I don’t think it is in anyway judgemental, just factual. Do you just want them to shut up?

[Dervorin]

@wolfman

I always assumed that most of the H1Bs came from middle class at least, since IT education at that level isn’t cheep anywhere in the world, and poor people would have difficulty affording it. But I don’t really know.

So my survey is this for people who know more about the issue. Are they usually middle class, or is it likely many of them came from deep poverty, and want to kick me in the head when I bitch about the price of food/gas etc. And for people who Immigrated or work in wealthier countries. Does it make you uncomfortable when people talk your initial country? Like I said I don’t think it is in anyway judgemental, just factual. Do you just want them to shut up?

You’re mostly right. The vast majority of Indians who work abroad do tend to come from a middle-class background, but I think the important thing to remember is that middle-class in India still means a vastly different lifestyle from middle-class in the US, say, in terms of material wealth. A car is only lately becoming available to the majority of middle-class people here, for example, and if you compare the lifestyles of two people in India and the US who are educated to the same degree, you’d find a large disparity.

I think it’s very unlikely they want to kick you in the head, because while poverty is widespread on a scale unknown in the US, most people who emigrate wouldn’t have had personal experience of it. They would, however, be perhaps more aware of it around them. Living in the US would also give them an appreciation of how expensive living abroad can be, and while the constant grumbling may be annoying, for the simple reason that real poverty and high gas prices are vastly different things, I doubt it would incite violence.

Personally speaking, I try very hard to be objective in my observations. I am aware that India has problems, and these can’t be solved by blind patriotism. I’m equally aware that the UK has problems, though (that’s where I will be working). I have no problem having a rational discussion about anything involving my country, but I do expect that people are a) intelligent and b) have a basic knowledge of the world. Talking to people who lack either of these things is an exercise in frustation. I’m quite aware that I’m possibly a maverick in this regard, though. Indians abroad tend to be hypersensitive about criticism, in my experience, and I find that ridiculous. The problems are there, and you can’t run away from them. If it’s an honest, factual discussion, bring it on. I’m all for looking at things from a different perspective.

One thing that annoys me, though, is the automatic assumption that a poor country can’t have anything worthwhile in it. I was watching an episode of House last week, and in that, there’s an exchange between House and Foreman, something along the lines of “Yes, because they have a leading neuroscience program - in India”, delivered in very sarcastic tones. That sort of thing annoys me - mildly. India does actaully have some excellent medical facilities. It’s not all cutting with stone flints in fire-lit caves. I don’t get all worked up about it, though, because frankly it’s not worth it.

[Indian]

@wolfman

I considered asking this in the ask the Indian thread a while ago, But it’s a bit more of a complex issue, so I waited and gave it it’s own thread.

I work in IT and have worked and do work with dozens of H1Bs, primarily from India. I’m a little curious about the background of most of these workers.

With people from the U.S. From their voice, their vocubulary, their actions, and what they say I can usually get a sence about there background, which gives me an idea when it is polite to just shut up,but I have no idea how to guage the folks from India.

The issue it raises if I wonder if I might be making them uncomfortable. For example at work we got into a discussion of the issues in Burma, and it kind of evolved into southeast Asia in general and the people and the widespread areas of total poverty. It was all speaking academically, not judgmentally, and openly about the politics.

Now I know India has some really horrible povery itself in areas, with lives Ireally just can’t understand.

I always assumed that most of the H1Bs came from middle class at least, since IT education at that level isn’t cheep anywhere in the world, and poor people would have difficulty affording it. But I don’t really know.

So my survey is this for people who know more about the issue. Are they usually middle class, or is it likely many of them came from deep poverty, and want to kick me in the head when I bitch about the price of food/gas etc. And for people who Immigrated or work in wealthier countries. Does it make you uncomfortable when people talk your initial country? Like I said I don’t think it is in anyway judgemental, just factual. Do you just want them to shut up?

Middle class Indians are not poor indians… To me , the term “middle class indians”, means those who do have some steady income by way of employment, agriculture, small business etc… For them education of their children is top priority, and is seen as a passport to the upper class. Most IT / Call centre guys you see are from this background.

Poor Indians are those who do not have a steady income and depend on agricuture ( mostly as labourers) and other menial jobs to earn a living. For them education is not much of an option.
I do find that my fellow indians take great pride in saying that we have 3000 year history , US has only 400 year history and so on… Fine ! But where is USA today and where is India ?? with that 3000 year history India should have been among the leading nations in the world long ago…and not battling poverty related deaths even today.

And Indians are hypersensitive about the so called cuture … Very diffcult for them to take a unbiased view and debate certain issues.
Indian