Where does the stereotype that all Indians are intelligent and are all doctors and engeneers come from?

[KostasKouvalis]

This is a legit question. I saw a YouTube video last night where some guy asked a Bangladeshi girl what country has the smartest people, and she said, "Bangladesh and ALL South Asians."

It got me curious, so I did some googling and found that the smartest South Asian nation, India, only has an ici grade of C-. The other South Asian countries are all in the D range. Nepalese were recently found to be the dumbest people on earth.

Yet, I watched the Geography Bee a few times and there was only one White kid, and the rest were all Indian kids. And it does seem like almost every Indian you meet is a doctor, engeneer or in tech jobs.

BUT! There seem to be far more Indians who work as farmers, restauranteurs, hoteliers, gas station owners, taxi drivers, cannery workers and construction workers (Middle East).

People seem to have forgotten that 20, 30 years ago, Indians were synonymous with hotels, taxis and gas stations. Now suddenly they're synonymous with being doctors and engeneers. But in Vancouver for instance, there's a large Pubjabi community and no one associates with with the medical or engeneering field. They associate them with agriculture and gangs.

There's a large Pubjabi community in my region too, and most of them work in agriculture and canning. There's a cannery in my town, and it's almost all Indians.

Some guy in the comments section said, "If they're so smart, why are their countries so underdeveloped?"

So yeah, it really got me thinking.

I'm not denying that there are smart Indians. In a country of 1 billion people, of course you're gonna find some geniuses. But the vast majority of Indians aren't smart and don't work high level careers. And other South Asian nationalities are even dumber.

So why have Indians become so synonymous with being doctors and engeneers?

Updates

1 y

In the Persian Gulf countries, Indians are synonymous with construction, restaurants and cheuffering. You never see Indians working high level jobs.

[unknowngurll1212]

You’ve raised a genuinely interesting question, but the thing is , the stereotype really does exist, and from the outside, it can be confusing.

A lot of the reason people associate Indians (and South Asians in general) with being doctors, engineers, or just “smart” comes from migration history and what the world got to see first. When many Indians started migrating to Western countries like the US, UK, and Canada decades ago, the ones who got visas were usually those with higher education or specialized skills—doctors, engineers, scientists, etc. So naturally, that image stuck...

[unknowngurll1212]

But here’s the thing: India is massive, over 1.4 billion people, and incredibly diverse—economically, culturally, linguistically. It’s just not accurate to group everyone under one category like "all smart" or "all educated." The same goes for other South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. There are people doing incredibly well in all fields, and also others struggling with poverty or lack of access to good education. That doesn’t reflect on their intelligence—it reflects on opportunity.

u mentioned seeing more South Asians in agriculture, construction, or canning industries in certain areas. That’s true in many places. That’s not about intelligence, it’s about the kind of migration route they had access to. Some people came for labor opportunities, not education. And their children may end up becoming the next wave of doctors and engineers—it often takes a generation or two...

[unknowngurll1212]

As for the comment, “If they’re so smart, why are their countries underdeveloped?” — that’s honestly a bit unfair. Intelligence alone can’t overcome centuries of colonialism, corruption, political instability, or economic exploitation. A country being underdeveloped doesn’t mean its people aren’t brilliant. It just means they haven’t had the systems or support needed to thrive on a global scale...

[unknowngurll1212]

In short, the stereotype exists because we only saw the highly educated side of the population for a long time. But in reality, South Asia is like anywhere else—some people are in top professions, some are struggling, and many are just doing their best. It’s not about being the “smartest nation,” it’s about opportunity, environment, and access.

Also, education looks different in different parts of the world. Intelligence isn’t always measured by degrees or careers. Emotional intelligence, creativity, survival skills, work ethic—all of those matter just as much..

[unknowngurll1212]

That’s actually a common surface-level observation, but it doesn’t reflect the full reality.

Yss, in many Gulf countries, a large part of the Indian workforce is in construction, hospitality, transport, and other labor-intensive jobs. But that’s because of how migration policies were set up. These jobs were in high demand, and India has a massive population with many willing to take them up for better income compared to what they might earn back home./..

[unknowngurll1212]

But if you look deeper, there are also thousands of Indians here working in high-level roles—in healthcare, engineering, finance, education, IT, and business leadership. Many hospitals, multinational companies, and private firms here are run or heavily staffed by Indian professionals. Just because they’re not as visible as laborers doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Also, it’s imp to remember that the Gulf is very hierarchical in its labor system—people don’t always mix socially or visibly between classes, so unless you work in a corporate or professional setting, you may not see that educated Indian segment. But trust me, it exists—and it’s growing fast...

[unknowngurll1212]

Plus, even those doing so-called “lower-level” jobs deserve respect. Many of them are hardworking, skilled, and supporting entire families. Their contribution to the economy is huge, and they often come here with big dreams, strong values, and crazy work ethic.

So yhh, the stereotype is based on what's visible, but the truth is much more layered than that 🤍..

[KostasKouvalis]

But the first Indians who migrated to the West were laborers.

Oh Jesus Christ! The other reasons I can agree, but please spare me the colonialism bullshit! I'm so sick of my ancestors constantly being villainess and blamed for people's own incompetence. We did a a lot of good for them. They would be worse off without us. The smart people were able to build off what the Colonists gave them.

"country being underdeveloped doesn’t mean its people aren’t brilliant."
Actually, it kind of does.

[unknowngurll1212]

The issue isn’t about blaming anyone—it’s about acknowledging historical realities. Colonialism did leave deep impacts, especially in terms of systemic poverty, artificial borders, looted resources, and dismantled education systems. You may feel personally tired of hearing about it, but for millions, the effects are still lived—not just studied in textbooks.

Saying ‘smart people built off what colonists gave them’ ignores the fact that many were left without the tools or freedom to build at all. Intelligence exists everywhere, but opportunity doesn’t...

[unknowngurll1212]

And no—an underdeveloped country doesn’t automatically mean the people are not brilliant. That logic is flawed. Development depends on a mix of politics, economics, history, and global power dynamics—not just IQ or effort. You’ll find genius minds in slums and average thinkers in boardrooms.

So instead of painting entire nations with a broad brush, maybe it’s more fair to look deeper. You’d be surprised how much brilliance is hidden behind silence and survivaL...

[unknowngurll1212]

and I respect your perspective.. but there’s more to the picture than just surface-level outcomes..

[KostasKouvalis]

STOP! Just stop!

[StarWarGirl]

@unknowngurll1212 you are right. Just some people don't wanna see what's not acceptable to them. But truth doesn't need to be proven through words it will eventually been seen sooner or later. Already the top positions are getting taken over by the people who has roots from India who has Indian genes in them. Including the prime minister post or CEO etc. It will be seen eventually.

[unknowngurll1212]

@StarWarGirl So true! Real talent shines through, no matter what people assume. It's already happening and it’s beautiful to witness 🤍...

[itsannalee]

This comes from Indian people who generally live abroad or in more developed countries who make education the most important thing, if you meet Indian in other countries, most of them are educated enough. This is kinda different from Indian people who live in India itself, I live in Taiwan and there are a lot Indian International students who take a Master’s or PhD here.

[Anonymous]

Indians are forced into studying all the time, needing to pass major exams, though to become part of the medical profession as a Doctor though are forced into lots of lower medical offices.

That is probably where it comes from.

I don’t care for stereotypes, you be you and leave people keep wondering.

[ProbablyClueless]

There was an immigration Policy For a long time in the united states where Asians couldn't get citizenship unless they had highly useful professional backgrounds like engineering and medicine.

[KostasKouvalis]

That's a great statute

[IslaTheWitch]

no idea... many Indians live in Berlin and i met a lot of them in different companies... and they are not different from other people I know... some have a degree, some don't... some work in well paying areas, some do lowest paid part time jobs... some stay home (women and men) taking care of kids... just people :D

[pacificopete]

My guess is this stereotype came from the tech giants. Why pay an exorbitant amount for an American software engineer, when you can just support the H-1B visa and bring in some Indians?

[Anonymous]

The US imports a lot of Indians but those Indians are highly educated doctors, engineers, software engineers etc. Hence the stereotype.

[EmmiL]

I never heard of this stereotype

[Anonymous]

I only heard of Cowboys & Indians movies.