Asian Nobles immigrating to the United States in the late 18th, early 19th centuries?

[Zuvarq]

Would it be possible for some Asian nobles to immigrate to the early USA? They would give up their titles of course, or hold them only ceremonially. Unless they arrive before 1787, then they could get an exception.

By Asian I don't mean Chinese or East Asian in general, I mean all of Asia. So a Hyderabadi, Mughal, or Maratha prince, or Turkish bey, or something like that. Somebody from East Asia works too though, but it's unlikely unless they're either from Thailand, or one of the European colonies in Southeast Asia.

Maybe, if they come from one of Britain's colonies or a nation antagonistic with Britain, they would help the US in the revolution with a sort of "enemy of my enemy is my friend" mentality.

I know the early US was racist, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't feel threatened by one or two foreigners. And since they're nobles, they would be pretty pale. Possibly even paler than most white Americans at that time, since 90% were farmers. Some of them might even be Christian. Not Protestant, but not Catholic either. Various varieties of Orthodoxy or other eastern Christianities.

So what could these nobles achieve with their wealth? If they arrive in the Revolution, could they have a chance at gaining fame as a patriot? If they arrive afterward, could they have a chance at building a sphere of influence somewhere in the west, purchasing industries and farms?

If you have some ideas for African, or Eastern European, nobles coming to the US in that era, share them too. A highly educated African could maybe advocate for the rights of slaves and freedman. While one of those Prussian or Polish planters arriving in America could be cool too.

 

[Flocculencio]

Would it be possible for some Asian nobles to immigrate to the early USA? They would give up their titles of course, or hold them only ceremonially. Unless they arrive before 1787, then they could get an exception.

By Asian I don't mean Chinese or East Asian in general, I mean all of Asia. So a Hyderabadi, Mughal, or Maratha prince, or Turkish bey, or something like that. Somebody from East Asia works too though, but it's unlikely unless they're either from Thailand, or one of the European colonies in Southeast Asia.

Maybe, if they come from one of Britain's colonies or a nation antagonistic with Britain, they would help the US in the revolution with a sort of "enemy of my enemy is my friend" mentality.

I know the early US was racist, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't feel threatened by one or two foreigners. And since they're nobles, they would be pretty pale. Possibly even paler than most white Americans at that time, since 90% were farmers. Some of them might even be Christian. Not Protestant, but not Catholic either.

So what could these nobles achieve with their wealth? If they arrive in the Revolution, could they have a chance at gaining fame as a patriot? If they arrive afterward, could they have a chance at building a sphere of influence somewhere in the west, purchasing industries and farms?

If you have some ideas for African, or European, nobles coming to the US in that era, share them too. A highly educated African could maybe advocate for the rights of slaves and freedman. While a Russian lord from Siberia allying with the Americans could be cool.

Why would an Indian noble want to give up his entrenched privilege and travel across continents and oceans to a strange new democracy?

As for the "enemy of the enemy" thing, by the late 18th C Southern India is already engulfed in a massive power game. Any noble worth his salt is going to be desperately politicking in India. This early on America just isn't in the Indian consciousness.

Also, none of these Nobles would be Christian- there were no Christian noble castes in India. The Orthodox weren't nobles but landed gentry, merchants and tax farmers and the Catholics were mostly poorer castes.

If you push the pod a bit further on, however, I've previously broached the idea of a Sikh migration to the United States after the defeat of the Khalsa by Britain. They settle down as farmers in Kansas but when the clouds of civil war arise, the Khalsa will ride again. These, of course, wpuldn't be specifically noble, but they would be a rough equivalent to yeoman farmers of the sort the US always likes.