>Do Indians qualify as model Asians? I thought the "model minority" was
>mainly about East Asians, and that South Asians were often regarded as
>little better than Africans. The taxi battle in NYC has brought out a lot
>of anti-South Asian racism (about 60% of our cab drivers are said to be of
>South Asian origin, and mainly from the area around Punjab, which suffered
>massive dislocations from the Green Revo, or so I was told by one of the
>organizers of the Taxi Workers Alliance).
>
Most of the Punjabis in California are either farmers or blue collar
workers, with a substantial minority of shopkeeper, service station
proprietors, etc. Most of them are Sikhs. The newer immigrants are
incredibly exploited by their "brothers" amongst the petty bourgeoisie, who
are frequently the owners of the taxis, etc.
Incidentally, Sikhs are also taxi drivers in much of India. A friend of mine was riding in a taxi in Delhi and asked the driver why so many Sikhs were in the taxi industry. He took his hands off the wheel (while moving in traffic), turned to look her full in the eye and said, "Because Sikhs are not afraid to die."
Many other South Asian, like Rakesh's father for instance, are skilled workers, particularly in the computer and electronics industries.
Tom Condit