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Gary Singh, based in LA and Toronto , is a contributing writer for NRIinternet.com

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Why is education and media Literacy Important for NRI Community’s Success?
By Gary Singh, Los Angeles


NRIs has created an image of Indians being sharp, smart, hardworking and able to achieve laurels in diversified fields - medicine, engineering, NASA, pharma, academics, IT, management etc.

NRIs are the richest ethnic group residing in United States. The average yearly income of an Indian worker is $51,904, and 59.9% of them are in working in the managerial positions more than any other Asian group residing in USA. It means, first generation is very successful in education area.

When foreigners travel to India - they suddenly have to make adjustments to the image of Indians being smart and hardworking. The local host, has to keep making excuses to explain off the lack of proper roads, the garbage strewn all over, the lack of pavements, the huge amount of poverty etc. Thats where our image takes a massive hit - and they must be wondering; “if Indians are so smart, how come the country is so broken”? “When they can launch satellites in space, why can’t they build proper roads and pavements”?

Similarly, NRIs are not well connected and never help their people who are less successful. One writer wrote in his article, ‘INRIs suck you. You should never work for NRIs because they exploit you. They are very individualistic. They are very poor as a community. There is little close cooperation. The answer is very simple: Where there is success, there is ego and this is a problem for NRIs.’”

NRIs must see the American Jewish community as a yardstick against which to compare themselves.

Interestingly, Jews make up only some 2-3 % of the US population, this figure is simply astounding. According to the Jewish Agency, for the year 2007 there were 13.2 million Jews worldwide; 5.4 million (40.9%) in Israel, 5.3 million (40.2%) in the United States, and the remainder distributed in communities of varying sizes around the world; this represents 0.2% of the current estimated world population

Success of Jews as proof of their integrity

Jews are probably the most successful people in the world. Behind this incredible power lies three important facts:

1. Well connected: They are extremely cohesive or ethnocentric. They are very well connected and help their people who are less successful

2. Education: They really value education compared to other people. The parents are damn strict on their kids to do well in school.

3. Media: They know that press is the power that shapes and molds the mind of virtually every citizen, young or old, rich or poor, simple or sophisticated. They also know that the press has become the greatest power within the Western World, more powerful than the legislature, the executive and judiciary.

"Today, seven Jewish Americans run the vast majority of US television networks, the printed press, the Hollywood movie industry, the book publishing industry, and the recording industry. Most of these industries are bundled into huge media conglomerates run by the following seven individuals:

The control of the opinion-molding media is nearly monolithic. All of the controlled media — television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, motion pictures speak with a single voice, each reinforcing the other:

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Several themes came up for me, that I connect with very deeply.

I've learned that knowledge is power, in the best sense of the word. After Sep 11, need to open your eyes and educate yourselves. ... Our quality of life after 9/11 appears to have been forever changed by that ..... since then few like-minded people started NRI media and now reached about 15 worldwide. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.

NRIs are doing wonderful jobs, keep it up. We must learn to help other NRIs who are less successful and also involve in press media

 

Sources: Jews- Rense.com, compuserb.com and NRI media group

 

 

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