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Beyond Identity: Understanding the political landscape for Indian Americans
The sudden obsession with Indian heritage is crazy, there are several other critical issues in this election.
FILE PHOTO: Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris looks on during a campaign event at Rawhide Event Space, in Chandler, Arizona, U.S., October 10, 2024. / REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
This is the easiest part—why voters should support candidate Trump. We can look at President Trump’s record, particularly his friendship with India during times of crisis. He consistently stood by us, including in 2020 and 2021, when China occupied a significant portion of Indian territory in the Ladakh region. Trump told China to back off.
Whenever India needed assistance, he was always ready to help. On the other hand, we have Kamala Harris. Many Indians are excited about an Indian American running for office.
However, I’ve never seen Ms. Harris identify as Indian. She identifies herself as a Black American. I don’t understand why there’s an obsession with labeling her as Indian American. I have no idea why. If you ask me who I am, I’ll say I’m of Indian origin, or Indian American, or whatever tag relates to India. But as far as I’ve seen, she doesn’t do that.
Maybe she uses the Indian identity for fundraising purposes, but I don’t understand the obsession Indians have with calling her Indian American. She is not, and she has never identified herself as one. Check her record, her driver’s license, or her job applications when she was running for District Attorney, State Attorney, or Attorney General—she has always identified as a Black woman. This sudden obsession is crazy.
There are several critical issues in these elections. First, border security. All of us Indian Americans came here legally, waiting our turn for visas and immigration status. Some of my friends have waited as long as 15 years. There are more than a million people on various visas who have been waiting for 14 to 15 years.
Why this system? Those who follow the rules face one set of challenges, while others jump the border and the next day, they’re in our country. Meanwhile, citizens suffer during hurricanes because resources are stretched. It’s absurd to advocate for illegal immigration. I support immigration—legal immigration.
Immigrants are hardworking, and they help build this country. But I am totally opposed to illegal immigration. Indians should be legal immigrants. The second issue is the economy. Kamala Harris has been vocal about raising the capital gains tax. Many in the Indian community are involved in businesses like hotels, Dunkin’ Donuts franchises, liquor stores, convenience stores, and IT companies.
She wants to impose a 44 percent capital gains tax, which is essentially a death sentence for entrepreneurship and business success. This is what happened in Europe, where they imposed taxes of 40 to 50 percent. Will entrepreneurs agree to that? Of course not! We build our businesses with after-tax money, taking risks and making smart, informed decisions.
When we make money, they have no right to tax us further. That’s why Republicans reduced the capital gains tax from 28 percent during the Clinton era to 15 percent later. Trump understood this because he earned his money through business.
Biden and his team, on the other hand, have spent their lives on government payrolls. They don’t understand entrepreneurship; they view business through the lens of a paycheck. But business Is not a paycheck—it’s about creating jobs and issuing paychecks to others.
Another important issue is the hotel industry. People in this industry need a president who understands franchise laws. There’s a significant problem between franchisors and franchisees. The franchise laws that were created in the 1960s, when franchises were relatively rare in the United States, are outdated. Today, franchise fees have skyrocketed to 14-15 percent up from 5-7 percent and there are no checks and balances.
I would urge the President to work with Congress and the Senate to develop fair franchise laws that benefit both franchisors and franchisees. Right now, the system is one-sided and it’s hurting the community. Ask any hotel owner, and they’ll tell you about the challenges with franchises. They take your franchise and build another one right next to your hotel, killing your business.
This is happening to many hotel owners, and even the Indian community is contributing to this problem by building hotels next to each other. If we continue doing this, the industry will collapse, and many will lose their wealth. I’ve made a point, in my 35 years in America, never to build a hotel, store, or restaurant next to another Indian business.
Unfortunately, these franchises are following the same strategy the British used in India—divide and rule. This is one of the biggest challenges we face.
The author is an entrepreneur and community leader based in Ocala, Florida.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)ADVERTISEMENT
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