ABSTRACT
Indian immigrants in the USA currently represent the wealthiest ethnic group. Most members of the Indian diaspora fit the “model minority” stereotype. This elite status strongly correlates to Indian tech workers’ high-income jobs in the USA. These workers enter the USA with “high-skilled” temporary visas that put them on a “legal” pathway to naturalized US citizenship. However, the constraints of the visas also undermine their economic privileges. In this chapter, I examine Indian immigrant tech workers’ awkward position within the “model minority” stereotype. I discuss how the status molds their relationships with the home and host states, other members of the diaspora, and other racial and labor groups. I also dissect how race, caste, gender, and religion shape these relationships. Insights shared in the chapter are based on the existing literature and my qualitative research on these workers’ activism.
