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A political wake-up call for Indian-Americans

With escalating fears over U.S. job outsourcing, Indian immigrants to the United States, long regarded as a model of adaptability and success in their new land, have found themselves branded guilty by association for the sclerotic performance of the American job market. To combat the backlash, Indian Americans play catch up in the political arena, trying to wield influence in Washington commensurate with their place in the economy.

“I think Indian-Americans have come into the spotlight,” says Christopher Dumm, executive director of the Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA). “During the Clinton administration there was attention surrounding India becoming the next economic miracle. Now India is just a scapegoat for U.S. economic policy.”

Indeed, Indian-Americans quickly scaled the heights of society in terms of profession and education. Merrill Lynch’s lastest annual survey of wealth found 200,000 millionaires of Indian origin in the U.S. More likely to hold advanced degrees, they also make more money: Merrill Lynch found Indian-Americans making $60,000 on average, far outstripping the national average of $38,885.

But Indian-Americans may very well find that the honeymoon is over. Portrayed as job snatchers by populist politicians, they are enduring a backlash of sorts rooted in their unique success in the white collar economy.

Read more @ MSNBC - A political wake-up call for Indian-Americans