Exclusive Interview: Sardar Usman Durrani on “Silent Wheel of America”
Reporter: Sardar Usman Durrani, your new book Silent Wheel of America has sparked vital conversations. Let’s dive in! You call immigrants America’s “unseen economic heroes.” Why frame their contributions this way?
Sardar Durrani: Thank you. The term “heroes” isn’t exaggeration. Immigrants fuel America’s engine often invisibly. They harvest our food, build our tech, staff our hospitals, yet their struggles remain hidden in silence. This book gives data a heartbeat. For instance, did you know immigrants founded 45% of Fortune 500 companies? Or that they’re twice as likely to start businesses as native-born Americans? Their resilience is heroic.
Reporter: You blend hard economics with human stories. What shocked you most during research?
Durrani: The paradox of sacrifice. One chapter profiles a doctor who fled war—now saving lives in rural Texas. But for years, she scrubbed floors to afford medical re-certification. Immigrants often downgrade careers to survive, yet still propel communities forward. Their “brain waste” is America’s hidden loss.
Reporter: Your title speaks of a “Silent Wheel.” What does it symbolize?
Durrani: The wheel turns relentlessly, powered by immigrants, yet society rarely hears its creaks. Policies focus on borders, not contributions. COVID laid this bare: while immigrants were disproportionately frontline workers, many lacked PPE or stimulus checks. Their labor kept the wheel spinning while they remained unheard.
Reporter: With your arts background acting, film how did that shape this socioeconomic work?
Durrani: (Smiles) Storytelling is key. Data might show immigrants boost GDP by $2 trillion annually, but numbers don’t stir souls. My arts training taught me to humanize narratives. When readers meet the engineer driving Uber by day, coding patents by night, theory becomes tangible. Art and academia both seek truth , just through different lenses.
Reporter: You dedicate a chapter to immigrant women. Why was that essential?
Durrani: They face a double silence—as immigrants and women. Many are primary breadwinners while navigating language barriers, childcare gaps, and workplace bias. Yet, they’re the fastest-growing entrepreneur group! Their tenacity rebuilds communities. Ignoring their stories erases half the wheel’s motion.
Reporter: Policy-wise, what’s one changes you’d demand after writing this?
Durrani: Pathways, not roadblocks. We lose billions by underutilizing immigrant skills. A nurse stuck driving taxis helps no one. Fast-track credential recognition, expand work visas, and listen to businesses begging for talent. Integration isn’t charitit’s economic strategy.
Reporter: Finally, what’s your biggest hope for readers?
Durrani: That they see the grocery clerk, the lab researcher, the startup founder not as “other,” but as co-authors of America’s next chapter. This book isn’t just about immigrants—it’s about all of us. When their wheel silences, the whole machine stalls.
Reporter: Powerful message. Where can we find Silent Wheel of America?
Durrani: Online everywhere! Barn and noble stores and amazon. Let’s explore the silence together.