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America250: How three Indian Americans chased the American dream
These three people of Indian origin recalled the journeys that shaped their lives in the United States.
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Ankita Baidya - Sun, 05, Jul 2026
- 03:26 EDT
- 30
Indian American entrepreneurs and professionals reflected on their families' immigration journeys as the United States marked its 250th Independence Day. / Representative Photo/Facebook
As the United States marked its 250th Independence Day, Indian Americans took to social media to reflect on the immigrant journeys that brought their families to the country and the opportunities that shaped their lives.
From scholarships and higher education to entrepreneurship and technology careers, their stories traced different paths but echoed a common theme: building new lives in the United States through education, hard work and opportunity.
Also read: From Japan to India: Mariko Ashida's Five-Year Yoga Journey
For Nihal Mehta, co-founder and general partner of venture capital firm Eniac Ventures, the story began in 1968 when his father arrived in Wisconsin with $1,000 borrowed from an uncle and a scholarship to pursue a master's degree in mechanical engineering at Marquette University, Mehta wrote on X.
His parents entered an arranged marriage in 1972, after which his mother moved to Wisconsin, a place neither of them had previously visited. The family later settled in Iowa, where his father worked for John Deere and where Mehta was born. In earlier interviews, Mehta has said his parents immigrated from India in the early 1970s. He has credited the small business his parents operated alongside their jobs with inspiring his own entrepreneurial journey, which eventually led him to co-found Eniac Ventures in 2009. Mehta is married to Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First.
In 1968, my dad landed in Wisconsin with $1,000 borrowed from his uncle and a full scholarship to Marquette University for his Masters in Mechanical Engineering.
— nihal (@nihalmehta) July 4, 2026
That was the whole plan. Borrow the money. Show up. Figure it out.
In 1972, he had an arranged marriage to my mom,… pic.twitter.com/GlhEAPZzKY
A different chapter of the immigrant experience was shared by Rohit Mittal, co-founder and former chief executive of fintech company Stilt. Mittal wrote that he arrived in the United States as an international student at Columbia University and spent his first year sleeping on a friend's couch because he lacked the credit history needed to rent an apartment.
That experience later inspired him to co-found Stilt with fellow Columbia University graduate Priyank Singh in 2015. The company focused on expanding access to loans and financial services for immigrants and was acquired by JG Wentworth in 2022.
Happy July 4th.
— Rohit Mittal (@rohitdotmittal) July 4, 2026
This day is a reminder of what America truly is: a living idea that says where you start doesn’t have to determine where you finish. Opportunity, earned through effort, still opens doors here like nowhere else.
I came as an international student from India to… pic.twitter.com/zyH9BtjwZK
For Siddarth Pai, the journey reflected the experience of many Indian students who pursue higher education in the United States before beginning careers in technology. Pai wrote that he spent four and a half years in the country, earning a master's degree from the University of Connecticut before working at JPMorgan Chase and Walmart.
Pai wrote, "America's spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, academic excellence, and opportunity continues to inspire the world."
Happy 250th Independence Day to all my friends across the United States!
— Siddarth Pai (@siddarthpaim) July 4, 2026
I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent 4.5 wonderful years in America. I had the privilege of earning my Master’s degree from the University of Connecticut, beginning my career at JPMorgan Chase, and… pic.twitter.com/k7JVpjE16h
Although their stories span different generations and careers, each pointed to institutions such as universities, employers and startup ecosystems as gateways to opportunity. Mehta described the American Dream as "still the operating system" for immigrant families like his, while Mittal wrote that the country's enduring promise lies in the belief that "where you start doesn't have to determine where you finish."
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