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European explorer Christopher Columbus who set sail to discover India lost his way (!) and landed on the wrong side of the globe into uncharted territory inhabited by brown people whom he called Indians. You may call him a genius or an accidental discoverer but he is credited with discovering America. That was the year 1492. America and Americans have come a long way since then. Columbus Day is celebrated in some parts of America, even today.

Be that as it may, today most peoples of the world have their own views about America ranging from adulation to envy and outright dislike. This is reflected in the saying “Yankee go home, but take me with you”!

To me, America is the greatest country on earth on par with my motherland India. It’s even better in several respects than contemporary India. I simply love the land, the people and American ideals.

This book is about America that I know. It is tailored to meet the needs of Students, H1b Visa holders, would be immigrants and visitors to the US for Business or pleasure. As an Indian- American I have tried to see things from Asian and Indian perspectives. A word of caution; Indians refer to persons of British and Indian mixed parentage as Anglo Indians. The term Indian - American does not imply mixed parentage; rather it refers to Indians who are American citizens. As a corollary, green card holders do not qualify to be called Indian – American. Although this book is written with an Indian perspective, I hope that readers in the Indian subcontinent and neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific region would find this book to be informative too.

True, Indians and other Asians have some knowledge about America and the American way of life. No society in the world is perfect and so I will not indulge in polemics.

It would take about six months of living in the USA, a lot of reading, observation and interaction with ‘ locals’, to get the lay of the land and feel comfortable in the new environment.

The Gadasalli clan’s love affair with America dates back to the early 194os when one of its brilliant sons, my first cousin Nagaraja Rao arrived in Chicago to pursue higher studies. After obtaining PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Dr Rao served in both private and public sectors in the US, Brazil, Korea and Indonesia with distinction. He was our hero and family role model.

Since then, several Gadasallis have made America their home. At last count the Gadasalli clan had a cumulative experience of over 700 years in the USA, including my own 30 years as an Engineer and International Business Executive. Gadasallis continue to enrich America by giving their best as Doctors, Engineers, Educators, Researchers, Financial Consultants and so forth. All of us love America.

We are especially proud of our Vietnam Veteran Harsha, our Cardiologist- Philanthropist Suresh and our American Peace Corps Volunteer Ajith, who served in a remote region of Africa.

God bless the United States of America.

Raj Gadasalli

Odessa, TX.

September 2009