Voice of the Diaspora
Abhishek Kumar: Five Years of Building Bridges in Mexico
A Bihar native shares his journey from Tata to HSBC, finding a racism-free society and planning to make Mexico his long-term home
Could you introduce yourself—your name and where you're from?
My name is Abhishek Kumar. I'm basically from India, Bihar.
Since when have you been here in Mexico?
I've been here since around 2021, so it's been five years now.
What brought you to Mexico—was it work or another reason?
I came for work. Initially, I was working for Tata, and currently I'm working for HSBC.
Did you have other options besides Mexico, or how did you choose Mexico specifically?
It was the only option, the first option—Mexico was the only one available to me at that time.
How has your experience been over these five years—regarding the people and culture? Do you like Mexican culture?
Yes, I like Mexican culture very much. Mexican people are very nice—extremely supportive people. I also love the city because of the climate, weather, and food. Everything is awesome.
What do you like most about the culture specifically?
What I like most is that people are very family-oriented. I see people are humble. They always support you, even if you're from another country. There is no racism here. That's what I really like about this country.
I've been here since around 2021, so it's been five years now.
What brought you to Mexico—was it work or another reason?
I came for work. Initially, I was working for Tata, and currently I'm working for HSBC.
Did you have other options besides Mexico, or how did you choose Mexico specifically?
It was the only option, the first option—Mexico was the only one available to me at that time.
How has your experience been over these five years—regarding the people and culture? Do you like Mexican culture?
Yes, I like Mexican culture very much. Mexican people are very nice—extremely supportive people. I also love the city because of the climate, weather, and food. Everything is awesome.
What do you like most about the culture specifically?
What I like most is that people are very family-oriented. I see people are humble. They always support you, even if you're from another country. There is no racism here. That's what I really like about this country.
Did you face any challenges when you first came here?
Yes, I faced some challenges. Like finding some good items—I wasn't aware of everything initially. I also faced language challenges—the language barrier was real. But people are supportive; they used to support me and try to explain things in some other way to help me understand.
What do you miss most about India?
I miss Indian food the most, and of course my family.
Do you often celebrate festivals here like Holi? Do you regularly celebrate Indian festivals?
Yes, I celebrate Indian festivals. Whenever there's any Indian event or cultural program, I always go there and celebrate. I like Indian culture and festivals a lot.
Which is your favorite Mexican dish?
Tacos are one of my favorites. Because I'm vegetarian, I mostly eat vegetarian tacos, quesadillas, and similar items.
Just one last question—any message you want to give to Indians who are reading this about Mexico in general or Latin America?
Mexico is really a wonderful place. People have this perception that Mexico has crime and all that stuff. But Mexico is really nice—people are very nice here. So I urge people to come and enjoy this place.
Do you have plans to stay here in Mexico for a long time?
Yes, I plan to stay for a long time.
Yes, I faced some challenges. Like finding some good items—I wasn't aware of everything initially. I also faced language challenges—the language barrier was real. But people are supportive; they used to support me and try to explain things in some other way to help me understand.
What do you miss most about India?
I miss Indian food the most, and of course my family.
Do you often celebrate festivals here like Holi? Do you regularly celebrate Indian festivals?
Yes, I celebrate Indian festivals. Whenever there's any Indian event or cultural program, I always go there and celebrate. I like Indian culture and festivals a lot.
Which is your favorite Mexican dish?
Tacos are one of my favorites. Because I'm vegetarian, I mostly eat vegetarian tacos, quesadillas, and similar items.
Just one last question—any message you want to give to Indians who are reading this about Mexico in general or Latin America?
Mexico is really a wonderful place. People have this perception that Mexico has crime and all that stuff. But Mexico is really nice—people are very nice here. So I urge people to come and enjoy this place.
Do you have plans to stay here in Mexico for a long time?
Yes, I plan to stay for a long time.
Interview conducted at a Holi celebration in Mexico City, March 2026