American Hindi speaker Drew Hicks has highlighted a cultural difference between India and the US that he noticed around hospitality, privacy, and inviting people home.
In a recent Instagram video, Hicks said that visiting someone’s home is far more common in India than in the US. He explained that Americans generally prefer meeting friends at public places such as bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.
“US mein kisi ka ghar jaana already ek common cheez nahin hai,” Hicks said. “Usually jab log milte hain, to woh log koi public place mein milte, bar mein milte, restaurant mein milte, coffee shop mein milte.”
He said that if an American wants to meet a friend, the usual plan is to meet somewhere outside rather than at home.
An American Living In India Noticed This Surprising Difference
Hicks used his own experiences to explain the difference. “Main logon ko jaanta hoon 10 saal se, jo main unka ghar ka darwaza tak nahin gaya hoon,” he said. “Unka table pe pakka nahin baitha hoon, and definitely unka bistar mein main nahin soya hoon, bhai.”
For him, this is a reflection of how private personal spaces can be in the US.
“But India mein bhai ek alag level ka hospitality hai,” he said. He described how an Indian host may not simply invite someone home for a meal but could ask them to stay overnight. “Log sirf ghar nahin bulayenge, log family ke saath bithaayega, khana khilayega, tumko wahan pe sula dega,” Hicks said.
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He even gave the familiar example of a host telling a guest to stay the night, “Bhai kal ja bhai, so ja bhai, tum mera bistar mein hi so ja bhai.” Hicks said this may sound completely normal to Indians, but is very different from what he has experienced in American culture.
He said the difference can be especially noticeable when meeting someone in India. “India jaoge bhai, kisi se mil loge, usi din ghar bulayega, usi din khane khilayega, usi din rukwa dega bhai,” he said. For Hicks, this is what makes Indian hospitality stand out.
He described the feeling as one where the guest is made to feel at home. He added, “Woh vibe bhai main sirf India mein dekha hoon.” The American Hindi speaker clarified that he was not saying such hospitality does not exist in the US. Rather, he said it is much less common there “US mein maybe hai but bahut kam hai,” he said.
The Internet Largely Agreed
The video sparked discussion among viewers, with several people saying Hicks had captured their own experiences.
One user wrote, “Totally true. I have so many friends whose house I have never visited in the US!” Another commenter said they had lived in the US for 21 years and found Hicks’ observation accurate. They said Americans generally invite people home only when they are very close family members or friends, and even then, meeting over drinks may be more common.
Not everyone viewed the difference as a simple case of Indian hospitality being better.
One commenter said both cultures could be taking things to an extreme. They argued that Americans can be “extremely private,” which can limit inclusiveness and social mixing.
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But they also raised concerns about the other extreme in India, saying that hospitality can sometimes become “too much invading of privacy in the name of guests.”
One user also suggested that urban India is increasingly becoming more like the US.
