As an "ABCD", i.e. American-born child of Indian immigrants, I can assure you that the pressure is distinctly different. Middle class Indians have a pretty rigid set of expectations for their kids, and there's hardly any room for individual expression. Everyone is expected to go for the prestigious-but-safe occupations of doctor, lawyer, or engineer (in that order). Meanwhile in American society we tolerate, and even encourage, experimentation and "following one's dream". Yes, everyone's still generally expected to get married, have kids, buy a house, etc... but there's usually no threat of being disowned for choosing to become an artist, or even teacher.
Yeah, but in my opinion the actually confused ones are the FOBs (first-generation immigrants)! Some of them appear to have been flash-frozen when they immigrated and long for an India that no longer exists.
I feel like there's a lot more talk of "following one's dream" than there is actually approval of people who do so, outside of normal tolerances. Many of my friends at university were forced into engineering/pre-med by their parents. Also. outside of the Bay Area, telling people you want to do a startup gets responses of extreme confusion and discouragement.
And this doesn't exist in the US (and everywhere else)?