Most Asian Indians play a balancing act between celebrating their native culture and embarking on new experiences in the U.S., according to a new study by the multicultural research firm New American Dimensions and Asian American advertising agency interTrend Communications.
"On one hand, they are eager to embrace American culture; on the other, they hold dear to the traditions and values of their roots. Although 40 percent expressed a desire to one-day return to live in India, many Asian Indians consider the U.S. their home," David Morse, president and chief executive officer of New American Dimensions, told RetailWire.
According to Mr. Morse, Indians are approaching three million in number in the U.S., putting them only behind Chinese as an Asian immigrant population in the U.S.
"They are highly educated - nearly 70 percent are college grads and their median household income is $78,300, quite high compared to the national median which is only $48,500. This is a consumer that shouldn't be ignored," he said.
Many marketers, however, are guilty of overlooking Asian Indians. According to Mr. Morse, consumers within this group respond well to seeing themselves portrayed in the media but beware of stereotypes.
"Many Indians, Muslim and non-Muslim, encountered racial discrimination after the 9/11 attacks. In our focus groups, we heard many complaints about media portrayals - from convenience store owners to number crunching nerds. The more that marketers can portray Asian Indians in a likeable and realistic manner, the more successful they will be. The good news is the majority feel they are portrayed positively in the media which helps them feel comfortable and at-ease with non-Indians," he said.
Key findings of the study include:
- Though relatively new to the U.S., first-generation Indians show many signs of advanced acculturation. However, they often go through an intense retro-acculturation later on life as they begin to realize the uniqueness of their culture.
- This group champions American individualism. They respect this value, as it allows them a greater freedom to succeed. Females appreciate this land of opportunity as it creates more possibilities for them to get ahead in life.
- Although highly acculturated and proficient in English, most express the desire to preserve their native culture through food, music, entertainment and language, and to pass it along to the next generation.
- Though they use a lot of media in English with American content, they still consume a considerable amount of Indian media both in-language and in-content. The younger segment (18-34 yr.) consumes the most Indian media, including television, radio and internet; while the 44-54 group reads the most Indian newspapers.
Discussion Questions: What do you see as the opportunity represented in the Asian Indian population in the U.S.? As a marketer, how would you go about communicating with and creating a relationship with consumers in this ethnic group?