Kamala Harris’ nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate marks a historic moment, not just for her but also for the Indian American community she represents. As the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, Harris embodies a rich cultural heritage that has garnered additional scrutiny in the wake of GOP nominee Donald Trump’s bigoted attacks about her background at the National Association of Black Journalists’ recent convention. Still, the attacks on Harris, who has often been perceived as a Black woman first, have thrust Indian American political identity, often overlooked, into the spotlight for a third time this 2024 presidential cycle. This time, however, our community finally has a presidential contender that reflects its values.
As an Indian American politico and someone who has covered the Indian American voting bloc, I am always surprised and dismayed by what seems to be a widespread assumption that the Indian American community is largely conservative. Quite the opposite is true, though the perception makes sense when you consider that most Indian American presidential candidates have competed for the GOP ticket.
In 2016, 77% of Indian American voters supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whereas just 16% of the bloc voted for Trump. Similarly, in 2020, the vast majority of Indian Americans voted for the Joe Biden and Harris ticket.
Still, to those who have spent the last year consuming model-minority myth talking points from Indian American GOP contenders Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, the values of the average Indian American voter may be hard to parse. It doesn’t help that despite its growing voice in American politics, the demographic group has been woefully understudied. There are around 5 million people of Indian origin in the United States today, making them among the largest Asian ethnic groups in the country. Though often perceived as less politically engaged than other minority groups, over the past several years, the community has been activated — in part as a reaction to xenophobic rhetoric that has been a mainstay of Trumpism.
To my dismay, when Usha Vance took the stage at the Republican National Convention in July — pandering to a crowd holding signs that read “Mass deportations now” — I assumed the nonrepresentative political narratives around our community would only persist. The effort to paint Indian Americans as an “exceptional” or “model minority” immigrant group that is in contrast with other purportedly less desirable minority demographic groups in the country is nothing new. “Whether or not he actually runs for president in 2012, (Bobby) Jindal symbolizes a remarkable but rarely discussed phenomenon — the amazing success of Indian Americans in general, and what that success says about our immigration policy. … Most Americans know only one thing about Indians — they are really good at spelling bees,” Forbes wrote in 2009.
Yet, with Harris moving to the top of the Democratic ticket and Trump charging that “she was only promoting Indian heritage” in his latest line of attack, Indian Americans finally have an opportunity to correct the record on what our community stands for. As highlighted by the group Indian American IMPACT, which focuses on equitable South Asian representation in government, the issues our community prioritizes are: immigration, entrepreneurship, racial equity and inclusion, voting rights, climate change and health care. The Harris and Tim Walz ticket is aligned with each of these policy priorities, and as such, it is likely that — once again — the large majority of the Indian American voting bloc will support Democrats.
Moreover, our community is proudly patriotic and celebrates American identity. The majority of Indian Americans celebrate July Fourth, and 86% have a favorable view of the United States. Unlike Ramaswamy, who wrote a book decrying America as a “nation of victims,” most members of our community believe they are on their way to achieving the American Dream, or as Harris puts it, “what can be unburdened by what has been.”
Recently, I spoke on a South Asians for Harris video call, one of many viral organizing efforts that followed her launch as the nominee. The energy was unlike what I’ve seen in the community for other “representatives” of our demographic — that’s because Harris is a different type of Indian American than we have seen at this level of national politics. Despite her previous run and years as vice president, many Americans did not even know of her Asian background.
As Harris’ Indian American identity continues to be unpacked by national media over the course of this campaign, the increasingly political Indian American community finally has a chance to correct the record on what our pro-America, progressive majority truly believes.
Kaivan Shroff is a political commentator and attorney. He also is a senior adviser to the Institute for Education, a Washington nonprofit, and a 2024 DNC delegate at large, and he worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
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