There’s a theory out there—wild, audacious, but surprisingly hard to dismiss—that just about everything worth celebrating in Western civilization was dreamed up, built, or perfected by Jews. From splitting the atom to decoding life itself, from rewriting the rules of music to redefining what it means to be human, Jewish brilliance turned the world into their intellectual playground.
Let’s take a stroll down the hall of fame: J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb,” quite literally blew the lid off 20th-century science. Albert Einstein, the cosmic poet, bent time and space to his will. Jonas Salk saved millions from polio, and Rosalind Franklin cracked the code of life itself with her DNA discoveries. And that’s just the lab coats.
In Europe, Franz Kafka redefined modern literature with existential masterpieces like The Metamorphosis and The Trial, while Sigmund Freud cracked open the human psyche with psychoanalysis. Across the Atlantic, Bob Dylan’s raspy voice and razor-sharp lyrics redefined music, and Steven Spielberg’s cinematic visions made blockbusters a global phenomenon. In philosophy, Karl Marx reshaped political thought, and in science, Niels Bohr revolutionized quantum mechanics. The Jewish diaspora didn’t just survive exile; they thrived, leaving their fingerprints on every facet of human achievement.
In the digital age, Sergey Brin (Google) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) reimagined how humanity connects, while European Jewish financiers like the Rothschilds laid the groundwork for modern banking. It’s as if the Jewish diaspora decided the best way to survive exile was to make themselves indispensable to the world. And now, with their rise, one wonders if India-Americans are the new Jews.
Are Indians the New Jews of America?
“Our clout comes from the fact that the Indian community constitutes what I call the ‘next Jews’ of America,” declared Prof Jagdish Bhagwati, a Columbia University professor, during Bill Clinton’s 2000 visit to India. A bold statement, but the evidence backs it up. Like the Jewish diaspora before them, Indian-Americans have emerged as a powerhouse of influence, blending intellectual prowess with cultural adaptability and economic success.
Indian-Americans have become the most educated and highest-earning ethnic group in the US. Over 75% hold bachelor’s degrees or higher, and their median household income exceeds $145,000—nearly double the national average. Dominating technology, medicine, academia, and entrepreneurship, they’ve turned the “model minority” stereotype into a rocket-fuelled reality. Sundar Pichai (Google) and Satya Nadella (Microsoft) are household names, much like Einstein and Salk were in their time.
Yet, with great power comes… well, you know the drill. Admiration often mingles with resentment. In today’s climate of nationalism and economic insecurity, Indian-Americans are finding themselves in a peculiar spot. Much like Jewish-Americans faced accusations of having “too much influence” in finance, academia, and media, Indian-Americans are navigating similar narratives in technology and business. Success, it seems, is always a double-edged sword.
Team Trump: The ABCDs
Take the new Team Trump. Among his picks are Tulsi Gabbard (an honorary desi) as Director of National Intelligence. Kash Patel has been picked to lead the FBI and take a hammer to the deep state. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, will be the co-lead of DOGE along with Elon Musk. Dr Jay Bhattacharya, a fierce critic of COVID-19 lockdowns, will be Trump’s Surgeon General. Meanwhile, Sriram Krishnan, a Silicon Valley whiz, will help shape Trump’s AI policy.
These appointments showcased Trump’s recognition of Indian-American contributions, even as they sparked resentment among the MAGA base, which often sees immigrants—even the high-skilled kind—as threats to “American identity.”
Trump’s Own Take: Skilled Immigrants vs. Illegal Aliens
Trump’s stance on immigration has always been a tightrope act. On one hand, he’s promised to crack down on illegal immigration with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. On the other, he’s openly praised high-skilled immigrants as vital to America’s competitiveness. “We need the best and brightest,” he said in 2019, endorsing merit-based immigration reforms. Yet, this balancing act often pits him against his own base, where nativist impulses run deep.
Why Musk and Sacks Defend High-Skilled Immigration
Elon Musk and David Sacks, Silicon Valley’s loudest champions of high-skilled immigration, are unapologetic about its importance. Musk, ever the pragmatist, has argued that America’s tech edge depends on recruiting top talent, regardless of borders. “If you want your team to win, you recruit the best—wherever they’re from,” he quipped. Sacks, meanwhile, has been vocal about the absurdity of green card backlogs, which penalize Indian engineers with decade-long waits. For them, keeping top talent isn’t just smart—it’s existential in the race against global competitors like China.
Why Indians Pay for the H-1B Backlog
The H-1B visa system is a double-edged sword for Indian professionals. While they dominate this program, receiving nearly 70% of the visas annually, they’re also its biggest victims. US immigration law’s country-specific green card caps mean Indian applicants face wait times that stretch over a decade. Meanwhile, applicants from smaller countries breeze through the system.
This backlog leaves Indian H-1B holders stuck in limbo, tied to specific employers, and unable to start their own businesses or explore other opportunities. Reform advocates like Sriram Krishnan argue that removing these caps would create a fairer, merit-based system. But such proposals inevitably collide with MAGA rhetoric, which paints them as threats to American jobs.
The Indian-American Success Story: Too Good to Ignore
Indian-Americans are the highest-earning ethnic group in the US. Around 70% hold bachelor’s degrees or higher, and their median household income is now hitting a jaw-dropping $145,000. They dominate Silicon Valley, head some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies, and even steer academia and government. Sundar Pichai runs Google like a tech titan, Satya Nadella is at the helm of Microsoft, and Vivek Murthy continues his impactful role as US Surgeon General. These aren’t just names—they’re symbols of Indian-American excellence.
In the world of academia, Srikant Datar leads Harvard Business School, Madhav Rajan helms Chicago Booth, and Sunil Kumar has taken charge as President of Tufts University. Indian-origin professionals aren’t just excelling; they’re defining leadership at the highest levels.
But let’s not stop there. Indian-Americans have rewritten the book of innovation. Ajay Bhatt made USBs a reality, Sabeer Bhatia gave us Hotmail when email was a luxury, and Vinod Dham—fondly called the “Father of the Pentium Chip”—laid the groundwork for modern computing. Amar Bose transformed the audio world with noise-canceling technology, while Narinder Singh Kapany’s fiber optics paved the way for the internet we can’t live without. Manu Prakash made science accessible with his $1 Foldscope, and Siddhartha Mukherjee is revolutionizing cancer treatment with groundbreaking immunotherapy.
Cultural Jealousy and the “Next Jews” Narrative
The backlash against Indian-Americans isn’t just about visas and jobs—it’s cultural. Much like Jewish-Americans in the early 20th century, Indian-Americans are perceived as a “model minority,” a label that’s both a compliment and a curse. Their success invites admiration but also envy, particularly among those who see their rise as a challenge to traditional power structures. Vivek Ramaswamy frames this tension through a cultural lens, arguing that America’s “celebration of mediocrity” has left it vulnerable in the global talent race. Immigrant families, he says, prioritize excellence over conformity, producing children who excel in math Olympiads, science fairs, and, eventually, corporate boardrooms.
The debate surrounding Indian-Americans and high-skilled immigration is a microcosm of the larger cultural and political churn in the US. On one side, there’s recognition of the indispensability of global talent in sustaining America’s edge; on the other, a deep-seated anxiety about foreign influences eroding the sanctity of national identity. For Indian-Americans, the path forward is clear but fraught: to persist in excelling while bracing for the inevitable backlash that comes with success.
The “new Jews” in America’s evolving narrative, they symbolize both the promise and the pitfalls of a nation grappling with its place in a globalized world. As Spider-Man’s uncle once put it, “With great power comes great responsibility”—but for Indian-Americans, power also brings an inevitable spotlight and the ire it attracts.
A few decades ago, they might have endured the derision—be it the ubiquitous Apu jokes or mockery of their accents—with a stoic silence. But this is a different era. Today’s Indian-American, armed with clout and a voice amplified by social media and public discourse, refuses to stay quiet.
There’s an old African proverb: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” The Indian-American community has learned to write—and to speak, build, and lead. No longer content to be the punchline of lazy stereotypes, they are reclaiming the narrative with the confidence that comes from hard-won success. If the nation is wrestling with its identity, Indian-Americans are reminding it that their story is an integral chapter of the American dream—one that can’t be erased or ignored.