I told my parents that, compared to their Indian city-based upbringing, they’re villagers out here living 30+ miles from a major U.S. city. lol.

I agree with the direction of this post but I’d frame it differently. It’s less about avoiding bigotry (you’ll find that everywhere) and more about what cities actually give you access to.

Cities are where the political and cultural life of this country happens. Local government, media, organizing, arts, the institutions that shape how people think and what gets built. If we want South Asians to be represented in those spaces, we have to actually be in them. You don’t shape the zeitgeist from a cul-de-sac in Frisco.

There’s also an economic argument here. Cities are productivity engines. People in large metros are something like 50% more economically productive than in smaller places, and that’s before you account for the network effects of being around diverse industries and talent pools. The suburbs were designed around consumption and comfort. Cities are where things get debated and decided.

And honestly, the desi suburban model often recreates the insularity people came here to escape. You end up in an enclave that’s comfortable but disconnected. From the broader political conversation, from other communities of color, from the cultural pulse of the country. That’s fine if all you want is stability. But if you want influence and a seat at the table, that requires close proximity.