From Model Minority to Marked: The Unraveling of the Indian-American Dream and the Fight for Belonging 

After decades of basking in the “model minority” stereotype, which fostered a sense of complacency and insulated success, the Indian-American community is confronting a sharp rise in hostility and xenophobia, driven by political scapegoating of H-1B visa holders as “job stealers,” nationalist rhetoric, and cultural backlash against their public celebrations. This has replaced their perceived security with a palpable fear, leading many to remain silent to protect their visas and careers. Community leaders now warn that this is not a passing phase but a structural shift, urging a move from complacency to building political power, forging solidarity with other minority groups, and engaging in grassroots efforts to reclaim their narrative and secure their place in American society.

From Model Minority to Marked: The Unraveling of the Indian-American Dream and the Fight for Belonging 

For decades, the narrative surrounding Indian-Americans in the United States was one of unqualified success. They were the “model minority”—a stereotype that painted them as a monolithic group of high-earning, exceptionally educated, and law-abiding immigrants who had seamlessly assimilated into the American fabric through sheer hard work. This image, while flattering on the surface, was a precarious pedestal. Today, that pedestal is shaking, and the community finds itself navigating a unsettling new reality: from being a model to being a target. 

The data has always been impressive. With a median household income soaring over $150,000 and more than three-quarters of adults holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, Indian-Americans statistically outperformed the national average by a significant margin. They became CEOs of tech giants, pioneered medical breakthroughs, and poured their energies into building prosperous lives. This success, however, is now being weaponized against them, fueling a resentment that has boiled over into public scorn, digital harassment, and a palpable sense of fear. 

The critical question is no longer about how they achieved the American Dream, but why the dream is showing a nightmarish side, and what the community must do to reclaim its sense of security and belonging. 

The Seductive and Divisive Myth of the “Model Minority” 

To understand the current backlash, one must first deconstruct the “model minority” myth. This label was never a benign compliment. For the Indian-American community, it created a false sense of security. As Yogesh Joshi, director of the India Center at the University of Central Florida, notes, it fostered complacency. The assumption was that bipartisan support was guaranteed, and their economic contributions would insulate them from the racial tensions that other minority groups historically faced. 

“The idea that we were ‘better’ than other minorities because of our educational and financial status was a rude awakening,” says Saba Haider, a Democratic Party candidate in Illinois. This myth created a chasm, preventing the solidarity needed to build broad-based political power. It allowed many Indian-Americans to believe they had transcended race, a privilege now being violently revoked. 

The myth also obscured the community’s internal diversity—the cab drivers alongside the cardiologists, the artists alongside the engineers. In the public imagination, however, they were reduced to a single story: the affluent, accented tech worker. This monolithic image made them an easy and identifiable scapegoat when economic or political winds shifted. 

The Perfect Storm: Political Scapegoating and Economic Anxiety 

The shift did not happen in a vacuum. The political climate, particularly during and after the Trump administration, created a perfect storm where the Indian-American community became a convenient villain. 

1. The H-1B Visa Lightning Rod: The fact that Indians receive over 70% of all H-1B visas is now framed not as a testament to their skills, but as a threat. The narrative has been twisted into one of “job stealers,” with immigrants allegedly being hired “on the cheap” to displace American workers. The dramatic increase of the H-1B fee to an astounding $100,000 was not just a policy shift; it was a political signal to a certain base, painting Indian professionals as a problem that needed to be priced out.
2. Trade Wars and Nationalist Rhetoric: When a sitting president labels India a “dead economy” and publicly mocks an Indian journalist’s accent, it gives everyone else permission to do the same. This top-down othering legitimizes prejudice. The complex issues of tariff disputes are simplified into a narrative of India “taking advantage” of the U.S., and by extension, Indian-Americans are seen as a fifth column, their loyalties perpetually suspect.
3. Cultural Backlash: The very public celebrations that once symbolized the community’s growing confidence—the vibrant Holi festivals, the elaborate Ganesh Chaturthi processions—are now being met with hostility. The viral video from a Dallas coffee shop owner, complaining, “I want my kids to grow up in America, not India,” is a poignant example. It reveals a deep-seated anxiety about cultural change and a rejection of the idea that American identity can encompass more than one culture.

The Psychology of Fear and the “Heads-Down” Strategy 

The consequences of this shifting landscape are deeply personal. For professionals like Vaishali Nagoree, a senior data analyst in Chicago, the hostility is no longer an abstract concept. Being told to “go back to your country” in a mall elevator shatters the illusion of belonging. In corporate America, this fear manifests as silence. 

“I feel colleagues questioning my background and, with downsizing, I’m an easy target,” Vaishali admits. This sentiment is echoed by Shankha Guchait, a Houston business consultant, who explains the pervasive anxiety: “One wrong post on social media, one perceived mistake – and your visa, your job, your legal stay in the country could be questioned. People are keeping their heads down.” 

This “fearful silence” that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor observed is not a sign of apathy, but a survival strategy. It is the rational calculus of a community where a significant portion is on temporary visas, their right to remain tethered precariously to their employment. 

Beyond the Election Cycle: Why This Isn’t Just a “Trump Problem” 

It is tempting to view this hostility as a temporary phenomenon tied to a particular political era. Saba Haider expresses a hope that “if the government changes, tensions will ease.” However, this may be an optimistic oversimplification. 

Yogesh Joshi offers a more sobering perspective: “Ideas take time to build momentum, and once they do, they’re hard to unshackle.” The genie of resentment—born from economic anxiety, cultural fear, and white supremacy—is out of the bottle. The stereotypes of Indian-Americans as perpetual foreigners, job thieves, and culturally unassimilable have been mainstreamed. These perceptions will likely outlast any single administration, meaning the community’s challenge is long-term and structural. 

The Path Forward: From Complacency to Collective Power 

The solution, community leaders argue, lies in a fundamental shift in strategy. The era of relying on economic success as a shield is over. The path forward requires intentional, organized, and collective action. 

1. Building Solidarity, Not Silos: The most critical step is to dismantle the walls the “model minority” myth built. “We must build alliances with other minority communities,” urges Saba Haider. The struggles against xenophobia, racism, and othering are shared. By standing with Black, Hispanic, and other Asian American communities, Indian-Americans can build a coalition too powerful to ignore.
2. Grassroots Engagement and Narrative Control: Joshi emphasizes the need to “engage with ordinary Americans—explain what contemporary India stands for.” This means moving beyond community ghettos and participating in local town halls, school boards, and neighborhood associations. It means telling their own stories, showcasing their contributions as small business owners, neighbors, and parents, rather than letting stereotypes define them.
3. Political Organizing with a Long-Term Vision: The contrast with groups like Jewish Americans or Chinese Americans is stark. These communities have built sustained political influence through decades of advocacy, fundraising, and voter mobilization. Indian-Americans must now “pull up its socks and be present where decisions are made,” says Joshi. This means supporting candidates who represent their interests, running for office at all levels, and building political capital that transcends partisan lines.

The unraveling of the Indian-American dream is a painful but necessary awakening. It exposes the fragility of conditional acceptance based on utility. The community’s journey ahead is not about proving it is a “model” anymore, but about fighting for its right to be complex, to be heard, and to be an unshakeable part of the American story. The silence is breaking, and in its place, a new, more resilient identity is being forged—one built not on myth, but on mutual respect and collective power.