In the February of this year, when 27-year-old Telugu youngster was shot dead during a robbery in a US store, that wasn't the first blow to Telugus settled in the United States. Unfortunately, each year without exception has brought along the news of Telugu community suffering at the hands of racial hatred and other crimes.
On February 12, 2022 Sri Satya Krishna Chitturi, who was working as a store clerk and had arrived in the US with his wife only a month ago, was shot dead during a robbery. The couple, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, was also expecting a baby soon.
Many years, advisories and alarm bells later
It was in 2017 that following the death of aviation engineer from Hyderabad Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a Telugu body issued the much-needed advisory for the Telugu Diaspora settled in the US. Telangana American Telugu Association listed out the dos and don'ts for Indians on public behaviour keeping safety in mind. The most notable advice being to avoid speaking in mother tongue as that might be misconstrued. The organisation, termed as TATA, also had tips on how Indians could save themselves from hate crimes, starting with being aware of the surroundings.
In 2018, a 25-year-old youth from Tenali, Pruthvi Raj Kandepi was shot dead in a shootout in the Fifth Third Centre in Cincinnati's Fountain Square in the state of Ohio. Pruthvi had completed his B.Tech from VIT and MSc from the University of California in the USA.
In the June of 2019, yet another incident sent shivers down the spine of Telugus across the world. Four members of a Telugu-speaking family were found dead with gunshot wounds at their house in Iowa. Although the case later turned out to be that of suicide cum murder where all four were killed by Chandrasekhar Sunkara, but that also highlighted the jinx of the otherwise prosperous community in the US.
Telugu Indians in the US
There is no doubt about the influx of Indians in America and how Indian Diaspora has prospered. Among various Indian ethnic communities, Telugus have excelled. As per one of the estimates, as reported, in 2017 more than 600,000 Telugus were estimated to be living in the US. Youngsters from all fields are mostly pursuing advanced degrees and chasing the quintessential US dreams. According to US officials, in 2015, the Consulate General in Hyderabad issued the fifth largest number of student visas in the world numbering 27000.
Visa temples for American dreams
Needless to say that US consulate in Hyderabad issues the largest number of visas in India. But has the craze of American soil, which started in the 80s with a phenomenon called Telugu Boom, declined? Telugu Boom, was a term coined to describe the large migration of doctors in the 80s and techies in the 90s. If the statistics are anything to go by, this love affair with the US has lasted, and if at all, only intensified. Not just hundreds of local universities promise to find you a placement in America but there are even 'visa temples' where Telugus go and worship for the American job. Hyderabad's Chilkur Balaji Temple, being one such well-known place of worship.
Telugu speakers rise exponentially
In 2015, there were roughly 250,000 Telugu speakers in the US. Between 2010 and 2017, according to a video by World Economic Forum, the number of US residents speaking Telugu rose by 86%. It grew upto be the third most commonly spoken language in the US. Behind the rise of Telugu speakers are a number of factors; tech and engineering industry in India, being a notable one.
Rise of Telugus and loss of lives
With the large numbers come big crimes. More than a dozen Telugus were killed in the years spanning 2012 to 2015. A number that did not seem to decrease, since as per a few estimates, more than 30 techies and students from Telugu states died between 2008 and 2019. Most being victims of racially motivated crimes or accidents. Youngsters especially are vulnerable to attacks since they take up part time jobs, often in areas with high crime rates. Every unfortunate incident being reported only attracts fresh advisories on safety, not the disillusionment with the American dream.
