# What do Americans think of Asian-Indians? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 22, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610 "2008-09-22T00:29:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/61 "2008-09-24T01:23:29Z")
> [@mallurox](#): > > Sacrilege!!! šŸ™‚ I am afraid i cant let that go without a response. From the sublime to the crap - indian music covers the entire spectrum. I offer a few samples for your perusal. There may be listenable music styles ā€“ instrumentals can be fascinating ā€“ but most Indian vocal music Iā€™ve heard seems kind of ā€œjanglyā€ to my ears. High-pitched female voices akin to Chinese restaurant music, along with plenty of reverb, do not make a good combination. Indian food is great. Indian folk art is fascinating. Indian music ā€¦ well, not every culture can master everything. šŸ˜ƒ Did anyone mention Indian matrimonial ads? The American equivalent would be if someone placed a personal ad seeking a Methodist who was born and raised in eastern Nebraska who was an engineer who is between 5ā€™11" and 6" in height, brown hair and blue eyes only, that made more than $75K, and came from a family where both parents are college professors. The matrimonials get far more specific than any [Match.com](http://Match.com) profile Iā€™ve encountered. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/62 "2008-09-24T01:47:51Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > There may be listenable music styles ā€“ instrumentals can be fascinating ā€“ but most Indian vocal music Iā€™ve heard seems kind of ā€œjanglyā€ to my ears. High-pitched female voices akin to Chinese restaurant music, along with plenty of reverb, do not make a good combination. Yeah, unfortunately I have to agree. all of those examples are unpleasant to my ears. As far as general indian stereotypes, the only two that jump out are tech support phone people and good students. I tend to half expect every indian person I meet to have a degree in physics or math regardless of what theyā€™re actually doing. Iā€™ll also second that in my experience, Americans donā€™t think of indians as Asian. We know that india is in asia (well I do, I canā€™t speak for everyone), but most people I meet say asian and mean east asian. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/63 "2008-09-24T02:15:06Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Did anyone mention Indian matrimonial ads? The American equivalent would be if someone placed a personal ad seeking a Methodist who was born and raised in eastern Nebraska who was an engineer who is between 5ā€™11" and 6" in height, brown hair and blue eyes only, that made more than $75K, and came from a family where both parents are college professors. The matrimonials get far more specific than any [Match.com](http://Match.com) profile Iā€™ve encountered. Well, I guess when you have a billion people to choose fromā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![mallurox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@mallurox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallurox)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/64 "2008-09-24T07:24:08Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > Yeah, unfortunately I have to agree. all of those examples are unpleasant to my ears. 5-HT and elmwood, too bad your opinion still stands unchanged - but hey. _shrug_ . Thank you for giving the music a try. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/65 "2008-09-24T08:39:14Z")
1. Huge families that are pretty close. I find this one refreshing because generic Americans look at me crazy when I explain how close I am with cousins who arenā€™t 1st cousins. 2. Depending on what region your family comes from you know every person from that region in a given area of the country. For example, people that I go to school with who live anywhere between Virginia and Boston know people that I grew up with in NJ. 3. Family, in particular elder members, is extremely important. 4. Girls raised in the U.S. act like princesses. 5. Food is a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/66 "2008-09-24T09:09:56Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > [Anila](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDErgD9YNyc)[Mirza](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0aXY2pM2sA)is [hot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAfu2MBYEew). (Danish child of Pakistani parents.) > > Valete, > Vox Imperatoris She may be as hot as a Madras curry, but she sure as shit canā€™t sing. Anila, shush a moment and let me just look at you. \< mutes volume \> ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/67 "2008-09-24T11:53:39Z")
[QUOTE=mallurox] Sacrilege!!! šŸ™‚ I am afraid i cant let that go without a response. From the sublime to the crap - indian music covers the entire spectrum. I offer a few samples for your perusal. Some of the musical styles will be familiar, others not. I have selected the list for listenability. [/quote] Thank you for the linksā€”like I said, I was sure I only had the bad luck of hearing the Indian music that heavily featured womenā€™s high-pitched, amelodic squealing. Iā€™d hate to be soured on a genreā€™sā€”_or_ an entire subcontinentā€™sā€”music just because I only heard the crap (The spikey-fendered, coal fired, spirit crushing crapā€¦). Those links, needless to say, ainā€™t too shabby. Nothing Iā€™d put on iTunes quite yet, but hey, baby steps. šŸ™‚ > [@](#): > > Singer: Abida Parveen > Genre: Sufi [Blend of hindu/islam mystic systems] > Song: Lal Meri Pat. A pean, in praise of a Sufi figure. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH8BgubvXWM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH8BgubvXWM) So _thatā€™s_ where Mahalia Jackson wentā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![mallurox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@mallurox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallurox)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/68 "2008-09-24T12:08:43Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Thank you for the linksā€”like I said, I was sure I only had the bad luck of hearing the Indian music that heavily featured womenā€™s high-pitched, amelodic squealing. Iā€™d hate to be soured on a genreā€™sā€”_or_ an entire subcontinentā€™sā€”music just because I only heard the crap (The spikey-fendered, coal fired, spirit crushing crapā€¦). > Those links, needless to say, ainā€™t too shabby. Nothing Iā€™d put on iTunes quite yet, but hey, baby steps. šŸ™‚ Thanks for listening Ranchoth! šŸ™‚ Baby steps is brilliant! šŸ™‚ Can i interest you in a 17th century existentitial angst song sung by a guitar wielding male Sikh?? Its got a ā€œself explanatoryā€ video too. Singer: Rabbi Song: Bulleh Shah Genre: Sufi Rock [?] ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5Ld-P_IblnI/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Ld-P_IblnI?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque [Hope this is not thread hijack Somebody\_UK] ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/69 "2008-09-24T13:07:46Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > She may be as hot as a Madras curry, but she sure as shit canā€™t sing. Anila, shush a moment and let me just look at you. \< mutes volume \> I had _Aqua_ flashbacks! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/70 "2008-09-24T13:14:37Z")
> [@mallurox](#): > > Thanks for listening Ranchoth! šŸ™‚ Baby steps is brilliant! šŸ™‚ Can i interest you in a 17th century existentitial angst song sung by a guitar wielding male Sikh?? Its got a ā€œself explanatoryā€ video too. > > Singer: Rabbi > Song: Bulleh Shah > Genre: Sufi Rock [?] > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ld-P\_IblnI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ld-P_IblnI) > > [Hope this is not thread hijack Somebody\_UK] I hope not. Iā€™m enjoying the music links. I donā€™t particularly prefer the Indian female voices myself. As others have said, a little too high-pitched. Probably 90% of my music collection is male-sung. ---
**Author:** ![mallurox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@mallurox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallurox)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/71 "2008-09-24T14:09:30Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I hope not. Iā€™m enjoying the music links. > > I donā€™t particularly prefer the Indian female voices myself. As others have said, a little too high-pitched. Probably 90% of my music collection is male-sung. Thanks Anaamika šŸ™‚ . I can understand why high pitches can annoy, especially if you do not understand the lyrics, elmwood and 5-HTā€™s dislike is understandable. I actively hate Mariah Carey/Celine Dionā€™s pointless warbling myself. So you can sing in a pitch audible only to canines - so what? But i do not get that with indian music. Of course its a style i am familiar with, and i understand the emotions and idea behind the song, so its different. I dont get how indian music is ā€œjanglyā€ but what the hey. Thats an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/72 "2008-09-24T14:25:39Z")
> [@mallurox](#): > > Thanks Anaamika šŸ™‚ . I can understand why high pitches can annoy, especially if you do not understand the lyrics, elmwood and 5-HTā€™s dislike is understandable. I actively hate Mariah Carey/Celine Dionā€™s pointless warbling myself. So you can sing in a pitch audible only to canines - so what? > > But i do not get that with indian music. Of course its a style i am familiar with, and i understand the emotions and idea behind the song, so its different. I dont get how indian music is ā€œjanglyā€ but what the hey. Thats an opinion. I generally donā€™t like female singers at all, even in Western music, so itā€™s partially a personal thing, too. I love our poetry and our lyrics, but female singers just donā€™t send hivers down my spine like male singers do, and I just donā€™t feel the passion as much. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/73 "2008-09-24T16:14:11Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I donā€™t like the practice of picking males only for offspring and killing the girls ā€¦ Itā€™s a very black mark against India as a whole this goes on. You say that like itā€™s as common as choosing Corn Flakes for breakfast. ā€œHoney, weā€™re out of mangoes, and donā€™t forget to abort the girl fetus.ā€ Thatā€™s not how it is. And itā€™s not common among educated Indians. > [@](#): > > but thatā€™s something the society as a whole will suffer from when none of the males can get a wife. Speaking anthropologically for a moment, a societyā€™s overall fertility is dependent solely on the number of females. It is a routine phenomenon in overpopulated human societies for practices to arise that result in the shrinking of the cohort of fertile females. > [@Anaamika](#): > > What I hear more than anything is that damn turban thing. Most Indian men donā€™t wear turbans. In my grandfatherā€™s time, it was a class thing. He was high-caste, and he probably wore a turban to denote that. Then again, the only [picture](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v713/Elenia25/Family/?action=view¤t=Nanaji.bmp) Iā€™ve ever seen of him was _sans_ turban. > > Sikh men wear turbans. Indian men generally do not, except maybe for a wedding. Turbans are still pretty common amongst laborers and farmers. Itā€™s a fairly practical form of headgear in those jobs. > [@Ranchoth](#): > > All the Indian _singing_ Iā€™ve heard, on the other handā€¦not so much. Iā€™m sure Iā€™ve simply had the misfortune of missing the best and most beautiful examples, and for that Iā€™m truly sorry, but most of what I _have_ heard was like jamming a standard screwdriver through my ear canal and scraping and skipping the tip against my skull bones. Unfortunately, for the last five decades about 87 percent of popular Indian music has been recorded either by Asha Bhosle or her sister Lata Mangeshkar (itā€™s usually their voices you hear in the singing-dancing portions of Bollywood movies). If you donā€™t like their high, nasally singing style ā€“ and I donā€™t ā€“ then filmi music is pretty much a dead loss. > [@eleanorigby](#): > > Yesā€“from what Iā€™ve seen, an Indian girl is treated like a delicate flower or jewel/treasure Gender issues are _very_ complicated in Indian culture. Statements like this donā€™t even begin to touch reality. Generally speaking, it is _boys_ who are pampered. Girls are expected to look nice, but never get the kind of indulgences that boys do. Practically from birth, girls are told that they have to right to cry when they are hurt, ā€œbecause girls have to suffer a lot worse than this in life.ā€ > [@Cisco](#): > > (they all took American names and it wasnā€™t until I was older that I realized my neighborā€™s name wasnā€™t really James.) This is only common amongst business and working class types. You wonā€™t see very many professionals anglicizing their names completely. That is, Rakesh might be called ā€œRickyā€ informally, but he would never tell you that his name is ā€œRichard.ā€ Educated Indians tend to be very loyal to their cultural backgrounds. > [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > I think many Americans still get confused about relatively subtle things in this regard, my sister says her Indian friend gets very indignant that my sister canā€™t tell at a glance if a given person is of Indian or Paskitani descent for example. Well, thatā€™s odd. Indians and Pakistanis are ethnically alike. The only thing that would work ā€œat a glaceā€ would be the difference in clothing, and that might only tell you if someoneā€™s Muslim. And there are more Indian Muslims than there are Pakistani Muslims. And it wouldnā€™t work for Bangladeshis, because Bangladeshi Muslim women wear saris, just like Hindus. (Okay, fine. Pakistanis tend to wear a lot more green than Indians do. Itā€™s a fact.) ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/74 "2008-09-24T16:23:58Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Well, thatā€™s odd. Indians and Pakistanis are ethnically alike. The only thing that would work ā€œat a glaceā€ would be the difference in clothing, and that might only tell you if someoneā€™s Muslim. And there are more Indian Muslims than there are Pakistani Muslims. And it wouldnā€™t work for Bangladeshis, because Bangladeshi Muslim women wear saris, just like Hindus. > > (Okay, fine. Pakistanis tend to wear a lot more green than Indians do. Itā€™s a fact.) Turns out my sisterā€™s Indian friend is a bit of a bigot in this regardā€¦she openly dislikes Pakistanis. So she may well be indulging in stereotypes. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/75 "2008-09-24T17:21:17Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I generally donā€™t like female singers at all, even in Western music, so itā€™s partially a personal thing, too. I love our poetry and our lyrics, but female singers just donā€™t send hivers down my spine like male singers do, and I just donā€™t feel the passion as much. Personally, I like female musicians. However, I prefer hearing music that is sung at a more-or-less natural pitch, and to my ears female vocals can sound harsh when they seem artificially high-pitched. In Asian and South Asian popular music, it seems like most female vocals are sung at an unusually high pitch, and to my ears it sounds like what **Ranchoth** described earlier as ā€œamelodic squealingā€. I can tolerate [indie college radio twee](http://www.myspace.com/cubcubcub), because although the singers have high voices, it sounds natural and even ā€œcuteā€. American Idol-style melisma isnā€™t my thing, but itā€™s not something that makes me run for the earplugs. With Indian music, though, it seems like a disproportionately large amount is like [this stuff](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp1mi76Totk); to my ears itā€™s [squealing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzSVRWt3FDw) with the added bonus of what seems like another staple of Indian music ā€“ [reverb](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOgALTFzFbQ). It literally sounds _painful_. Iā€™m digging around Youtube, and Iā€™m having a very difficult time finding Indian music with female vocals that doesnā€™t sound like [reverb-enhanced squealing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpROhIg9eA). ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/76 "2008-09-25T00:11:36Z")
I grew up in Houston, where I knew quite a few Indians (and Pakistani) immigrant families, almost (or probably) all of whom were richer than mine. Like a lot of first generation Americans, there were a couple of idiots who squandered their parentsā€™ sacrifices for stupid thrills. But there were many who were intelligent and very driven individuals. Two of my best friends growing up, one is at GWU and another at one of those Five Sisters in Massachusetts. Some Indian women are not that attractive, and some are smoking hot. Same with a lot of folks really. In my experience (and my brother, who has an Indian -American girlfriend of 5 years, jokes about this with her family to me) Indian men are completely useless, but Indian women are hard-charging asskickers. I loved _Kuch Kuch Hota Hai_. ---
**Author:** ![SomeBodyUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SomeBodyUK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeBodyUK)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/77 "2008-09-25T02:33:58Z")
> [@](#): > > This is only common amongst business and working class types. You wonā€™t see very many professionals anglicizing their names completely. That is, Rakesh might be called ā€œRickyā€ informally, but he would never tell you that his name is ā€œRichard.ā€ Educated Indians tend to be very loyal to their cultural backgrounds. I have a cousin called Richard! > [@](#): > > Well, thatā€™s odd. Indians and Pakistanis are ethnically alike. The only thing that would work ā€œat a glaceā€ would be the difference in clothing, and that might only tell you if someoneā€™s Muslim. And there are more Indian Muslims than there are Pakistani Muslims. And it wouldnā€™t work for Bangladeshis, because Bangladeshi Muslim women wear saris, just like Hindus. > > (Okay, fine. Pakistanis tend to wear a lot more green than Indians do. Itā€™s a fact.)[/ Green clothes? Not heard that one beforeā€¦In UK one can usually tell if somebodyā€™s Indian or Pakistani by their dress too: British born Indian women never wear Indian clothes, except for weddings and parties. Same for the guys. British born Pakistani women are a lot more likely to wear Indian clothes. The women do cos their families are often strict and think western clothes are obscene. Some even think saris are obscene and wonā€™t wear them. Many Pakistani men wear shalwar kameez. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/78 "2008-09-25T03:22:17Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > She may be as hot as a Madras curry, but she sure as shit canā€™t sing. Anila, shush a moment and let me just look at you. \< mutes volume \> How can you hate a song where ā€œThatā€™s not a knife, THIS is a knife!ā€ is part of the lyrics? šŸ˜ƒ Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/79 "2008-09-25T17:46:28Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Iā€™m digging around Youtube, and Iā€™m having a very difficult time finding Indian music with female vocals that doesnā€™t sound like [reverb-enhanced squealing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpROhIg9eA). Iā€™ve always liked [Mehndi hai rachneqali.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX0Pa25uT3w) I think itā€™s got a nice hook, and the female vocals arenā€™t too out there for Western music. Other Indian pop I enjoy includes [Tere Bin Sanu Soniya](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtYsbnPxZOw) and [Dil Kya Kare](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZDIScyRmIs) (kind of an Afro-poppy sounding Indian tune.) I also dig a lot of the electro-Indian banghra music. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610/80 "2008-09-25T19:38:42Z")
I work with a lot of Indians here are my thoughts: Very hard working and driven overall, most seem very eager to work and to do whatā€™s needed. They outshine a lot of US workers in this regard. The ones I have spoken too all seem well educated. Not just the ones in my workplace but outside of it as well. They are very interested in bargains, whenever weā€™ve had a yardsale there have been long bargaining sessions over almost any item, even if the price is low to begin with. They are usually well dressed, either wearing khakis and button down shirts or name labels. I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever seen one in just a no name t-shirt and jeans. The men wear jewelry more often than most US men and itā€™s always gold, sometimes with stones. They almost always eat only Indian food. They are the only ethnic group I work with that donā€™t seem to eat any other type. Our cafeterias usually have anumber of vegetarian options. However, even though the Indian food is prepared on site and is no more likely to be authentic or any more vegetarian than any other entree they will rarely choose anything out of that cuisine. The men donā€™t perform household tasks like cooking, cleaning, laundry. Even if the wife and husband both work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-asian-indians/464610.md?page=5)