An Indian manager in the US tech industry recently shared his experience on the Blind platform, expressing frustration over being judged for his ethnicity despite years of fair management practices. The title of the post, ‘I’m an Indian manager and I feel hated for things I didn’t do,’ struck a chord with many users. The manager, who moved to the US on an H-1B visa and progressed from L5 to L7, emphasized that he has mentored employees from all backgrounds and hired the most qualified candidates regardless of race or caste.
Growing Resentment Toward Indian Managers in Tech
“I moved to US to belong but still feel like I live in India as my social circle is mostly Indians. Guess I was too naive? I’d hate to think that though. I don’t know when being Indian in tech turned into something people resent,” he wrote, highlighting the emotional toll of feeling unfairly targeted.
Online discussions, he noted, increasingly associate Indians with preferential hiring of their own or importing caste-based biases into the workplace, even though he actively worked against such practices.
Community Reactions Highlight Perceptions and Misconceptions
Responses from other users on the platform reflected deep-seated opinions about H-1B managers. One said, “I would never work for a H-1B manager. They will never stand up for you and throw you under the bus to protect their job and status. You might be a good one but I can’t take that chance. Incentives are too perverse. I’ve never seen a H-1B manager who wasn’t completely docile and a slavish.”
Another questioned the logic behind such perceptions: “Why would throwing you under the bus help them protect their job/status? Also why wouldn’t a non-H-1B manager not want to protect their own job?”
The post underscores the complex dynamics faced by international managers in US tech, where skill and fair management practices can be overshadowed by generalized assumptions about visa status and ethnicity.