[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

TMy reasons for coming back were as follows, and they still hold good.

2) I was making 6 figures salary 20 years ago, with 12 years of experience, even had zero co-pay medical coverage for full family. I was well settled and employer was very very willing to file GC, and it was lot easier then. But I realised I will always be judged on skin color, rather than on who I am. I know it doesn't bother most people emigrating to USA, but it did bother me. I didn't want to put-up with it, nor subject my son to it.

I doubt this holds good today. Before 2010 maybe, but today? Unless you choose to live in "those" places, most tech hubs have a significant Asian majoriy with upper management of many tech companies (Aside from MS/GOOG) has significant number of Indian and other Asian origin VPs etc.,

Bay area has no an Asian majority, and availability of Indian groceries is better than many big cities of India.

But then, yes, if you go to some village in Kansas and work from there, it will be a different story, but most of America is now very used to Indian Americans.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I doubt this holds good today. Before 2010 maybe, but today? Unless you choose to live in "those" places, most tech hubs have a significant Asian majoriy with upper management of many tech companies (Aside from MS/GOOG) has significant number of Indian and other Asian origin VPs etc.,

Bay area has no an Asian majority, and availability of Indian groceries is better than many big cities of India.

But then, yes, if you go to some village in Kansas and work from there, it will be a different story, but most of America is now very used to Indian Americans.

Completely agree. I grew up in small town(less than 50k population) in the US between 1988-1996 and then moved back to India. I returned to the US last year after 26 years and I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of Indians in the US and the acceptability of foreign cultures and languages. The trash collection notice from the Government in NYC is also written in Urdu, Bengali and Hindi. The Income tax department hotline has operators who speak Hindi also. Many of the signs in my apartment building are written in Chinese. The biggest change is how Indians are now more proud of their culture and language and don't hide it.I hear Hindi every where in the subways, streets, offices and restaurants.I see ladies in sarees on streets regularly. Diwali was declared a school holiday in NYC last year. There are so many changes.

I remember when I was school, probably class 4-5 kids would ask if my ancestors lived in a Tipi (tent for indigenous Americans) or did any native American dances. I always thought they were making fun of me. Its only many decades later when I moved to India that I realised that kids were so ignorant that they thought I was a Native American Indian due to my brown skin

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Bay area has no an Asian majority, and availability of Indian groceries is better than many big cities of India.

But then, yes, if you go to some village in Kansas and work from there, it will be a different story, but most of America is now very used to Indian Americans.

I lived in NJ, which had huge Indian population even 30 years ago. Nothing to do with groceries either. My wife and I could easily live on non-desi diet too.

[landmaster18]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

I think your decision was not truly aligned to your true inner values. I believe you are a materialist at heart. Hence no amount of spiritual/non-material rationalizing will help you. Nothing wrong with it. You should be just true to yourself.

Fair assessment! I haven't renounced the world yet

Originally Posted by androdev

This is a fair assessment and something people on both sides of the debate agree with.

I don't mean to ask this to offend you but I am really curious to know about your thought process when you made the decision to return.

Thank you for your kind message. Thats right. It was a decision taken in absolute haste and I rue the fact. I was doing great - as a Masters student my publications started getting accepted in high quality journals and I was being invited as a speaker to conferences where senior people from IIMs and the ISBs also give out a limb to even register their presence there. I was all set to start a PhD. On the side, some really lucrative consulting positions also began coming my way.

My dad had a fairly serious operation and my parents hid it from me for about 3-4 months because I would be super worried. Post the fact, I took an absolutely impulsive decision and flew here without thinking twice. Didn't renew my visa too. Reality hit me later - I could have simply taken a break, spent time with them and been more useful to my family by bringing parents to live with me and did things a little better. I could also have come back to India, leveraged my position in a significantly better way too and eventually spend a greater time with the family, but this is all hindsight bias

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by landmaster18

Thank you for your kind message. Thats right. It was a decision taken in absolute haste and I rue the fact.<---->

Thank you for sharing your issues so candidly on the forum and being so honest with yourself. In a life of 80+ years you will receive or better can create opportunities to re-establish yourself. But first you may want to find your own inner self to drop the baggage of "what could have happened". Not easy but needs to be done. Have a look at my tag line. It says it all about my philosophy in life with two near bankruptcies and one major ill health challenge. At 39 you have 35 years of active adult life ahead and only 18 years behind you. The world is still your oyster.

Life is about several fronts - career, money, health, relationship with spouse, looking after your parents, relationship with children etc. We often get too focused on only the first two assuming happiness stems from there alone. Hardly the case; important yes but not all encompassing.

Where becoming an entrepreneur goes I would heed the wise advice from @Androdev. Setting up and running your own business as a first generation entrepreneur and to then be successful at it is conservatively speaking 10X or 20X more difficult and heart breaking than doing a job - any job. Having held a job for the early part of my career and built & run two businesses after that I can say hand on heart a job with all its boss issues, office politics, unfair promotions etc is easy-peasy compared to a business.

Best of luck.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I lived in NJ, which had huge Indian population even 30 years ago. Nothing to do with groceries either. My wife and I could easily live on non-desi diet too.

Yes you can. My point was that American cities have become far more multicultural in the last few years. In 2007 when we went to obscure national parks, there were hardly any Asians. but now there are hardly any non Asians.

So the people getting looked at funny are not Asians, atleast not in the bay area

Schools are 80% Asian. I am sure it was not the case when you were in NJ

[landmaster18]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you for sharing your issues so candidly on the forum and being so honest with yourself. In a life of 80+ years you will receive or better can create opportunities to re-establish yourself. At 39 you have 35 years of active adult life ahead and only 18 years behind you. The world is still your oyster.


Where becoming an entrepreneur goes I would heed the wise advice from @Androdev.

Best of luck.

Thank you very much for such positive words. These are wise words indeed. Thanks to Androdev as well.

[nirmaljusdoit]

@landmaster18

It is still not too late for you to reconsider a move back abroad, for perspective friends of mine in their early 50’s got their papers approved to Canada (Husband in IT , wife a doctor ) and moving next month. Another friend of mine in his late 40’s (Investor) is looking to start a business and move to UAE/Qatar/Canada as well.

There is still time for you to course correct the way you wish. End of the day its your life and how you derive happiness being where you are and doing what you like. I do regret certain life decisions when i could have settled abroad too when i was working in my previous organisations but it all turned out OK in the end starting a running a business in India.

Wise words indeed by Androdev and V Narayan ! The entrepreneur journey exposes you to all the raw and ugly underbelly of India and is way more difficult and complex than being in a job. You need a thick skin and sharp skills needed to survive and make it successful.

All the best for your journey !

[dailydriver]

An RTI enquiry filed by The Indian Express has revealed some interesting emigration trends:

[Turbanator]

Interesting. Are we aware of where Goans usually immigrate? Or do they get Portuguese passports instead and continue to stay here?

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Interesting. Are we aware of where Goans usually immigrate? Or do they get Portuguese passports instead and continue to stay here?

Would indeed be an interesting fact to know.

That apart, what could be the reason for the large gap between the number of passports surrendered vis-a-vis the numbers that have renounced Indian citizenship during the last decade?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

what could be the reason for the large gap between the number of passports surrendered vis-a-vis the numbers that have renounced Indian citizenship during the last decade?

Interesting, I didn't notice this until you pointed it out specifically. A possible explanation, maybe RPOs are considering the data of the passports surrendered in India only, whereas the renounced citizenship is the actual data taken from Indian consulates overseas.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Interesting. Are we aware of where Goans usually immigrate? Or do they get Portuguese passports instead and continue to stay here?

Your Portuguese citizenship opens up the entire EU for you. And if you are a Goan, chances are that you are eligible for it (just need to be born in Goa before 1961; or born to parents who were born in Goa before 1961; or be married to one who qualifies. And applications can be made even after death).

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by binand

Your Portuguese citizenship opens up the entire EU for you.

Yes.

And if you are a Goan, chances are that you are eligible for it (just need to be born in Goa before 1961; or born to parents who were born in Goa before 1961; or be married to one who qualifies. .

This explains, a large population should qualify in that case. I have read only about "just need to be born in Goa before 1961"

[denzdm]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Interesting. Are we aware of where Goans usually immigrate? Or do they get Portuguese passports instead and continue to stay here?

I happen to know many Goans as part of my circle. Prima facie - many apply for Portuguese passport as its one of the best available routes to enter Europe. Demographically, the older generation (working class), prior to Brexit, chose England given no language barrier. However, with Brexit, things have changed a bit and Ireland is turning out to be the new preferred choice.

For the other part (the students), there is no such leaning as such because they primarily move for higher studies. Also, it is worth mentioning that some old households in Goa still speak Portuguese as their first language and hence the family members would prefer Portugal over other European nations.