A 23-year-old former student of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has sparked conversation online after explaining why he chose to leave life in the United States and return to Punjab, despite what many consider the allure of the “American Dream.”
In a widely shared video, the man, Sanjum Singh Dhaliwal, recounted his experiences living in California, describing how two reasons, a sense of community and the relative ease of living, ultimately influenced his decision to move back to India.
US vs India: The car repair experience
“When I was in the US, my car’s entire right side was scraped by a government trash truck. I got no help from the city of Beverly Hills, from Los Angeles, from my insurance companies, no one. Even [with] the mechanic, the first thing that they want to talk about, this is how much it’s going to cost you and it’s in the thousands,” he said.
In contrast, he described a recent experience in Punjab when his car’s clutch pedal malfunctioned, rendering the vehicle immobile. After contacting a local mechanic in the afternoon, the vehicle was reportedly picked up within an hour, repaired, and returned the same evening. The work included replacing the clutch bearing and pedal, along with an oil change and brake fluid service, all completed within five hours at a cost of approximately $110.
Punjab’s cultural factor
He highlighted that beyond affordability, the difference laid in the attitude and approach to service. In Punjab, he observed a culture of prioritising assistance and hospitality before discussing payment. In comparison, he described feeling stressed and unsupported in the US over what he considered a relatively minor issue.
He added humorously that while community and comfort were key factors, local cuisine, particularly Amritsari kulche, remained his top reason for returning home.
‘Everyone is in survival mode in US’
The video drew mixed reactions from netizens. While some empathised with Sanjum and said that his personal experiences were reflective of the broader constant ‘survival mode’ existence in US.
“The [US] government has squeezed everything bit out of us over the generation,” a user wrote, with another highlighting that more than sense of community, it is India’s cheaper labour that resonated with Sanjum’s ‘ease of living’ experience.