Encountering Indian doctors in American hospitals isn’t mere coincidence; it’s a testament to a transformative era.

Back in the 1960s, the United States faced a shortage of qualified doctors, especially in rural America and underserved urban areas like South Bronx. A newly designed Immigration policy sought to address this gap by invited skilled professional, like doctors, to apply for immigration.

Beyond showcasing medical proficiency, applicants committed to serving in areas lacking healthcare access, such as rural Kentucky and South Bronx, and demonstrating fluency in English.

Thousands of Indian doctors responded to this opportunity, immigrating to America. Over time, thousands of their children followed in the parents’ footsteps, fulfilling the unspoken dream of every Indian parent to have one child in the family become a doctor.

The immigration policy that brought Indian doctors here wasn’t just about filling vacancies; it represented a beacon of bipartisan cooperation, garnering overwhelming support with a resounding 320-70 vote in the House and 76-18 in the Senate.

As we navigate the complexities of modern immigration policy, I find myself yearning for the unity and pragmatism that characterized those early years.