Journalism of Courage
‘Don’t come’: Indian couple in US urge youngsters to rethink moving abroad
The couple said India now offers many opportunities that once drew them to the US, while moving abroad comes with high personal and emotional costs.
The couple said Chinese students often return home after studying abroad, while more Indians could bring their experience back to India.
For many young Indians, moving to the US has long been seen as a path to better jobs, a higher standard of living, and greater opportunities. But an Indian couple living in that country believes that equation has changed, and are urging youngsters to think carefully before deciding to move abroad.
Suhas and Priyanka shared their views during a street interview with content creator Darshana, aka @darshanaconnects, in a video posted on Instagram. When asked what he would tell young Indians planning to move to the US, Suhas had a blunt response: “Don’t come.”
Suhas said the circumstances were very different when he and Priyanka decided to leave India. “We came here because, at that time, India was very tough for us to crack into. It was very difficult to land a good job, very difficult to have a good quality of life. The US was a very easy bet. You come here, you get your master’s, you get your job, and you are set,” he said.
According to Suhas, however, India has changed considerably since then. He believes many of the opportunities that once pushed Indians to look overseas can now be found at home as well. Priyanka pointed to India’s growing economy and said the country is also attracting considerable investment, making it a more attractive place to build a career.
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But for Suhas, the decision to move abroad is not only about jobs and money. He spoke about the emotional and personal sacrifices that come with starting a life in another country.
“Huge cost of leaving your family, leaving your friends, coming to a foreign land, making new friends, feeling accepted. I still don’t feel like I’m accepted here. I would rather just live in India. If I could, I would,” he said.
The couple also spoke about how they believe Chinese students and professionals approach overseas education differently. Suhas said many Chinese students come to the US to gain education and experience before returning to China and using that knowledge to build something back home.
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Priyanka noted that this includes people who spend years abroad pursuing higher education. “Indians are not very good at that,” she said, arguing that more Indians could consider bringing their skills and experience back to the country.
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