A Desi’s Lament

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Indian Americans have been appointed as the United States’ Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Officer, and were offered (but turned down) the gig as Surgeon General, butttt it turns out they can’t get the ambassadorship to India. That goes to former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer. I’m starting to think we’ve been typecast.

But as unfortunate as this pigeon-holing is, it makes sense that the first Indian Americans in national-level public service would work in fields Indians are most associated with. Others will follow behind them, and won’t be similarly limited. It’s just a matter of time until there is an Indian American ambassador, an Indian American senator, and eventually, an Indian American president.

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