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Election season and the coming of age of Indian Americans
The diaspora recognizes that local and state positions, while not as glamorous, are just as, if not more, impactful than federal ones.
Indian American members of Congress at the Desis Decide Summit held by Indian American Impact. / X/@RepJayapal
With both the presidential and vice-presidential debates now firmly in the rear view mirror, the election season is squarely upon us.
While all eyes are primarily fixed on the race for the White House, a number of other important electoral contests are largely going unnoticed across the country. It's of course not surprising that so much attention has been focused on the presidential election, especially with an Indian American connection on both tickets.
These other contests, however, should be of particular interest to the Indian American diaspora, not just for the issues at stake, but for the sheer number of Indian American candidates involved.
Whether local, state, or federal races, the number of candidates of Indian descent, many of whom are open and proud practicing Hindus, has grown exponentially. That participation was even higher earlier this year during the primaries with a number of Indian Americans throwing their hats in the ring, albeit many unsuccessfully.
Notably, this level of electoral participation has not been limited to only those geographic areas with high concentrations of Indian Americans, and instead spans the breadth and width of the country.
Ultimately, the number of Indian Americans who get elected is not nearly as important as the number of candidates participating in the process, symbolizing a growing emphasis on civic engagement. This is crucial as the Indian American population grows and becomes more visible.
According to a new resource guide put out by AAPI Data, entitled Indian Americans: By the Numbers, AAPI Data Guide for a Fast-Growing Community, there are an estimated 4.8 million Indian Americans (or those that identify as such). Similarly, Indiaspora’s Impact Report, Small Community, Big Contributions, Boundless Horizons puts the number of Indian Americans at 5.1 million.
As the population of the diaspora grows, it’s natural that they will play a larger role in politics and impact elections in a multitude of ways through donations, votes, and candidates. In fact, as AAPI Data further notes, Indian Americans have the highest voter turnout rate of eligible voters amongst Asian Americans at 71% and are expected to turn out for this election at an astonishing 91% rate.
Moreover, beyond the five sitting Indian American Members of Congress and 40 Indian Americans serving in state legislatures, there are approximately 150 Indian Americans in notable positions in the federal government while only representing 1.5% of the US population, according to Indiaspora.
But what’s changed and is even more promising is the evolutionary thinking of the diaspora and the recognition that local and state positions, while not as glamorous, are just as, if not more, impactful than federal ones.
This was not always the case. When Indian Americans first began engaging in politics, they were initially focused primarily on federal elections, whether as candidates, donors, or appointees to federal government roles.
Traditionally, local and state positions were not on the radar of Indian Americans or were deemed too inconsequential to get involved in. But as Indian Americans sought to play a more substantive role in addressing the issues that directly affect their daily lives, local and state politics rightly became increasingly important. And this includes a wide range of elected positions from school boards to city councils to county roles and the state legislature.
Furthermore, besides the bread and butter issues Indian American candidates care about such as education, safety, and infrastructure, many of the legislative initiatives and resolutions that have harmed Indian Americans, and particularly Hindu Americans, have been proposed at the local and state level. For example, transnational repression bills that whitewash Khalistani extremism, caste policies that single out and target Indian Americans, and dozens of resolutions misrepresenting ground realities in India and demonizing Hindus have been prominent at the local and state levels.
Importantly, while in the past many candidates ran away from their ethnic and/or religious identity (though not always as overtly as Bobby Jindal did), today they are openly embracing both. In fact, oftentimes today’s Indian American candidates are emphasizing the positive aspects of their ethnic and religious identity and their (or their family’s) immigrant success story, while still appealing to a wide cross-section of voters across the political spectrum.
Regardless of how these elections turn out, one thing is for certain: Indian Americans as a political force are here to stay.
The author is Managing Director, Policy and Programs of the Hindu American Foundation
(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)
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