The Indian-American Diaspora: Ties that Bind

U.S.-India Insight: September 2012

U.S. Government officials regularly refer to the diaspora as an important partner in driving U.S.-India relations forward.  This leads us to address two fundamentally important questions:  What are the community's priority concerns in U.S.-India bilateral relations and how can the two governments facilitate the diaspora's ability to further unlock the full potential of the overall U.S.-India relationship?

The 3-million-member diaspora is immensely diverse, as are its opinions, and we attempt to outline some of the more-often heard ideas in this month's insight.

We also address a recent Pew research poll taken in India, which asks, "Do Indians like America?"  It underscores some important perceptions of the United States, as well as concerns about and opportunities for further engagement.

Interestingly, the growing diaspora community here appears to be a factor contributing to the favorable views of the U.S. among Indians.  As The Times of India reported in an article on the Pew survey: "Huge numbers of Indian emigrants have bumped up the Indian population in the U.S., consequently creating a large pro-American sentiment in urban India."

Karl F. Inderfurth

Persis Khambatta