We should be more image conscious outside India

This might seem like a rant, but I have been feeling of late that NRIs should take it up as a personal responsibility to improve their image in the eyes of natives. Let me explain.

In the period following WWII, Japan rebuilt their country bit by bit. In the 70s and 80s, their GDP started to grow, and more and more Japanese could afford to visit foreign countries. But as the GDP grew, they also made sure their people are putting their best selves out there. Anyone who has worked with the Japanese can confirm how polite and well-behaved they are. The most striking example that comes to mind is that of Japanese football fans cleaning up after themselves during the World Cups in Qatar and Russia.

I want Indians to take it upon themselves to improve the image of Indians, especially in Western Europe and US/Canada. We started off as the "model minority" because there were fewer of us and mostly went through the education/ white collar job pathways. Then our numbers grew. Canada, Australia, NZ had very liberal immigration policies since 2015, making removing a lot of barriers to entry. Natives started to notice that not all of us are "model minority". Now in the age of MAGA and rising populism, it will take a lot of effort to undo a the damage caused by our fellow countrymen.

I am proposing simple steps, like being law abiding, respecting local culture, dressing in clean clothes, not trying to stand-out from the crowd, being respectful when it comes to noise levels, driving well, not littering etc. If I were the dictator of India, I would make sure all people learn these habits before leaving the country.

Whether you have naturalised to another country or not, you will always remain a desi, brown person in the eyes of the locals. And it takes 1 rotten apple to undo the good work of 100 people. So, it is our responsibility to always put our best self forward, at least when in public. In 20 years, people should look up to Indians as a "role model community" for future immigrants. Otherwise we risk going in the direction of Turkish guest workers in Germany, who remain unintegrated over generations.

Tldr. We need to do something about our image. And everyone has to pitch in.