South asians have notoriously been programmed to want to be the first in anything amongst their peers, whether it is school, business accomplishments, research, wealth and more. Even without growing up with super traditional parents, I realized early on in my childhood that this notion of being “the first” was super important.
If you’re South Asian, you’ve probably felt that jolt of pride when you see a headline starting with “The first South Asian to…,” “The first Indian American to…,” or “The first Pakistani to….” Those moments are thrilling. They signal change, and, frankly, they make us feel seen in industries where our faces and stories once felt nonexistent. But here’s the dilemma: celebration can’t stop at “Look, we finally got one.” When the spotlight stays glued to a single ground-breaker, it too easily morphs into a ceiling, one that excuses institutions from creating pathways for many more South Asians to follow.
The Double-Edged Sword of Firsts:
Firsts crack open doors—but they can also cause us to pause at the threshold instead of charging through.
- Visibility and Validation
- Positives: Proof of possibility. When Rishi Sunak became UK Prime Minister, millions of South Asians worldwide felt seen. Similarly with Kamala Harris becoming vice president of the United States. These examples don’t just exist in politics but every industry across the globe.
- Pressure to Represent Everyone
Nehal’s POV explains this take fully, where because representation is craved so much across industries, when the “first” gets recognized it also comes with a handful of criticism because effectively that person unintentionally is being put on this pedestal to represent everyone. South Asia is vast and full of so many subcultures that effectively its impossible for one to represent all.
- Tokenism and the Ceiling Effect
- Institutions often stop at a symbolic hire or quota hires. After the photo op, where are the pipelines? We should hope that the path of success doesn’t just stop with the first but continues to expand past that.
Celebrating a first is essential—but staying there keeps the doorway narrow for others trying to get in.
Historically most of us, and our parents generation and even our grandparents generation are immigrants, and were “the first” of their families to come and settle here in the US for more opportunity. Understanding past pathways helps us pave wider roads forward.
With the 1965 Immigration Act, the United States rewrote its immigration laws, abolishing the racially restrictive quotas of the early 20th century and replacing them with a preference system that favored family reunification and highly skilled professionals.
Why it mattered:
- It sparked an influx of doctors, engineers, and academics from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and beyond.
- By 1970, approximately 51,000 Indians were living in the U.S.; by 2020, that number exceeded 4.2 million (U.S. Census).
- Many of these early arrivals entered STEM fields—creating pockets of success but also reinforcing a “scientist/engineer” stereotype that still persists.
The growing communities built wealth and stability, but their stories rarely made headlines. Cultural representation? Nearly nonexistent. The blueprint for “firsts” was being set. As South Asians and East Asians achieved economic mobility, mainstream media began labeling them “model minorities.” The myth suggested an entire group’s success came from inherent discipline—ignoring systemic barriers and erasing diversity within the community.
- A 2021 Pew study shows 42 percent of Americans still view Asian Americans as “better at math and science.”
- The stereotype placed South Asians on a pedestal—but a silent one: admirable yet voiceless, successful yet typecast.
- It created pressure to keep heads down and assimilate, discouraging activism and visibility in creative sectors.
Economic progress grew, but cultural visibility remained low. We gained a seat in the lecture hall, not on the film set.
By the late ’90s and early 2000s, a handful of South Asian pioneers started making waves:
- Politics: Dalip Singh Saund in 1957 (ahead of his time) was the first Indian American in Congress, but decades passed before the next wave—culminating in Kamala Harris as Vice President in 2021.
- Hollywood: Actress Parminder Nagra landed a lead role in Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and later in ER. Yet it took another decade for Priyanka Chopra’s lead in Quantico (2015).
- Business: Indra Nooyi became PepsiCo CEO in 2006, but female South Asian CEOs remain a rarity among Fortune 500 companies today.
Each trailblazer demonstrated it could be done—igniting hope and inspiring a generation but these success stories were treated as unicorns. Instead of sparking pipelines, they often reinforced the notion that “one is enough.”
When social media took off, that’s when things really started to shift. Social platforms like YouTube (mid-2000s) and later TikTok democratized content creation. Suddenly, gatekeepers weren’t the sole deciders.
- Lilly Singh went from posting comedy sketches in 2010 to becoming the first openly bisexual woman of color to host a U.S. late-night network show in 2019.
- Streaming services hunted for new voices—leading to shows like Never Have I Ever (Netflix) and Ms. Marvel (Disney+).
Digital platforms lowered barriers, and consumers demanded fresh perspectives. The definition of “first” expanded—first Muslim superhero, first South Asian-centered teen drama, first Gujarati crime docu-series. However, the con to this is that algorithmic visibility can be fleeting. Virality doesn’t always translate into lasting industry change or behind-the-camera leadership roles.
So where are we now?
- South Asians comprise 6 percent of the U.S. population but under 2 percent of major network showrunners (WGA).
- Only four Fortune 500 companies currently have South Asian women CEOs (2024 list).
- Cultural icons like Mindy Kaling and Deepika Padukone hitting the Hollywood Walk of Fame spotlight progress—yet highlight how few have come before them.
Firsts grab headlines, but organizations often use them as proof of “mission accomplished” and slow further investment in diversity. Not discounting or discrediting any of the progress made, but there is always room to make more. Being the first should not mean that progress doesn’t continue.
Our parents’ generation fought for a seat at the table; our generation’s task is to ensure that seat isn’t left lonely. Celebrating Deepika’s star or Kamala’s oath is vital, but the true victory will be when such milestones no longer surprise us—when South Asians are no longer “firsts” but simply part of the narrative.
Let’s honor every trailblazer while building structures that guarantee they won’t be the last. Because the real milestone is the day many of us stand side by side, no headline required.