A 35-year-old Indian immigrant living in the US has sparked a debate over whether the American Dream is still worth pursuing after revealing that he is considering moving back to India despite having $360,000 in savings, a steady engineering job and a potential family business waiting for him.
The man shared his dilemma on Reddit, saying he moved to the US 12 years ago and now lives in a high-cost-of-living city. He is engaged, and said his fiancée supports the idea of returning to India. However, HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of this post.
According to his post, his father runs a construction company in India that earns around ₹1 crore annually. Taking over the business, he said, would allow him to live comfortably.
‘Fake luxurious’: Why he wants to return
The man said money is not the main reason he is reconsidering his life in America. Instead, he pointed to loneliness, housing costs and what he described as a disappointing quality of life.
{{/usCountry}}The man said money is not the main reason he is reconsidering his life in America. Instead, he pointed to loneliness, housing costs and what he described as a disappointing quality of life.
{{/usCountry}}“I had big dreams when I got here but it's insanely lonely,” he wrote, describing life in the US as “fake luxurious.” He said he pays around $4,000 for a one-bedroom apartment with wooden walls, while his family home in Mumbai is larger and better built.
He stressed that he does not hate the US and makes a good living there. Still, he said he is torn between trying to achieve more in America and returning to India for a more comfortable life.
His biggest concern involves his future children. He said he wants kids but does not want them to go through the immigration difficulties he experienced. At the same time, he wants them to have global opportunities and be free to choose where they eventually live.
The bigger question: Stay in America or go home?
The post triggered sharply different reactions, with some people urging him to return to India before marriage and children make the decision more complicated.
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One commenter argued that remaining undecided could become harder if his wife and children eventually prefer to stay in the US. Another warned that parents who move back to India after raising children in America can find themselves divided between two countries if their children later choose to return to the US.
Several others challenged the idea that children should determine where parents live in old age. One response argued that parents should not view their children as a “backup retirement plan.”
Another commenter said the decision depends heavily on a person's financial position and ambitions. The US, they argued, can offer significant opportunities for people seeking to build careers, companies or wealth, while India may offer a more comfortable lifestyle for those who have already achieved financial stability.