[Global Times Report by Bai Yunyi] Editor’s Note: During this year’s US presidential election, there was a particularly noteworthy coincidence: the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, has Indian heritage, and the Republican vice-presidential candidate, James Wanser, is from an Indian immigrant family. Moreover, during the Republican presidential primary, Nicolle Haley and Vikram Malaswaram, who both made impressive showings, are of Indian descent. The increasing number of Indian Americans stepping into the “foreground” of American politics raises questions about what phenomena are behind this trend, and how it will impact the country’s domestic and foreign policies as well as its political landscape.
The Indian-American politician is the most numerous among all Asian Americans.
“Wanser becoming Trump’s running mate marks the first time Usha Wanser—an Indian American and devout Hindu—has had the opportunity to be the spouse of a vice president.
This also confirms a striking reality: based on current circumstances, either the United States will welcome a female Indian-American president or a second wife of an Indian-American vice president.
“The New York Times recently wrote in its report, “This marks the latest milestone in the rise of Indian-Americans as a political force over the past decade.”
At the same time, more and more Indian Americans are becoming high-ranking government officials and members of Congress. According to data from the AAPI Data organization focusing on Asian American demographics, as of July this year, there are five Indian-Americans in the US Congress, and another 40 Indian-Americans serve as state legislators, making them the largest group among all Asian American groups in the US. Furthermore, two months ago, the Indian expatriate organization “Indiaspora” released a report stating that in 2023, over 150 federal government senior positions were held by Indian-Americans, accounting for approximately 4.4% of the total number of senior positions in the federal government. In 2013, this figure was only around 60, representing just 1.7%.
Behind the impressive performance of Indian Americans in American politics, there has been a rapid expansion of this group in the United States over recent years. According to NBC News, as per the 2020 U.S. Census Report, the number of individuals identifying as “purely Indian” has surpassed that of those identifying as “purely Chinese.” The Hindu reported that by 2023, the number of Indian Americans in the United States had exceeded 5 million.
The New York Times believes that the growth of the Indian American community is related to the era of immigration to the United States, which also made the Indian American community one of the wealthier and more highly educated Asian communities in the U.S.
In 1965, the U.S. enacted new immigration laws that lifted restrictions on immigrants from Asia, Africa, and other regions, leading to a surge in migration to the U.S. In recent years, the booming tech industry in the U.S. has created a demand for software engineers and computer programmers, attracting many with higher levels of education, further increasing the population of Indian Americans in the U.S. Today, 60% of the U.S. Indian population was born after 2000.
“On some counts, the Indian American community is now the most successful ethnic group in the U.S. economy, a stark contrast to the situation a century ago—when they were sparsely populated, living in poverty, and at the bottom of society,” an analysis in the February issue of National Magazine stated. Today, Indian Americans have achieved success in many fields, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Lakshmi Kandala, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Junot Diaz, and renowned singer Norah Jones, all of whom are Indian.
Economic success has also laid the groundwork for Indian Americans to enter politics.
Indian Business Standard reported in August, citing the latest report from “Indiaspora,” that
In recent years, Indians have contributed $300 billion in tax revenue to the U.S. federal budget annually.
Among the 648 unicorn startups in the United States, about 72 are led by Indian founders, accounting for 11% of all U.S. unicorn companies. These companies employ over 55,000 people in the United States. Additionally, Indian immigrants own approximately 60% of the country’s hotels, generating $700 billion in hotel industry revenue and creating 4 million jobs.
In September last year, Nira Tandon, the director of the National Policy Forum in the United States, stated at an event that Indian Americans have achieved remarkable success in the U.S., especially during the Biden administration. She said, “When I first arrived in Washington, there were only a few Indian Americans in the Clinton administration. Nowadays, almost every department has an Indian American. For example, when we talk about AI issues, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is managed by an Indian American, Arati Prabakaran.”
“The internal political division among Indian Americans is related to their immigration history”
“On almost all indicators related to politics and civil participation, Indian Americans rank among the Asian communities,” The New York Times noted, citing experts’ consensus that this is due to India being an English-speaking country with a strong tradition of democracy.
“Indians are a growing group of individuals who are awakening to their power in the election realm,” NBC quoted Patel, executive director of the non-profit organization “Impact of Indian Americans,” as saying.
Harris’ presence as Vice President on the national stage also encouraged more Indian Americans to launch their own campaign activities.
“I think this has inspired many South Asian volunteers and activists. Previously, they had always been involved (in politics), but they had never thought about running for office themselves.”
Patel also added that winning a significant number of Indian-American votes in the general election could have a significant impact on the candidate’s victory.
For example, in Arizona, the number of Indian Americans is greater than the number of votes Biden received over Trump in 2020, highlighting the importance of Indian community votes.
A report published by The Seattle Times in July noted that Indian Americans are one of the fastest-growing voting groups in the United States. According to statistics, more than 2.1 million adults eligible to vote in India are eligible, and over 235,000 new Indian immigrants have entered the country in the past four years. In the 2020 election, Indian American voters cast their ballots at a rate of 71%, the highest among Asian Americans, matching the voter turnout rate for non-Hispanic whites (71%). This was also the highest rate of voter turnout by ethnicity in 2020.
What issues do Indian American voters care about most? NBC reported that, like many Asian Americans, Indian American voters are most concerned with inflation, immigration policies, climate change, and other issues. “This reflects common South Asian values,” Patel believes. However, Spectrum News, an American media outlet, suggests that although some Indian Americans support, fund, and participate in activities related to Indian politics, domestic issues remain more important for most Indian Americans. A scholar from the School of International Service at American University of Virginia, Singh, mentioned that Indian American political positions are influenced by issues such as reproductive freedom, anti-immigration policies, economic downturns, and hate crimes. “These issues ultimately determine their voting because it is their future,” she explained.
According to The New York Times, since 2008, the voting rate among Indian-Americans in the U.S. presidential elections has been the highest among Asian communities. They have consistently been a reliable source of votes for the Democratic Party due to their belief that the Democratic Party is more inclusive of different beliefs and races, and they are more supportive of policies they value, such as social security. Over the years, the Democratic Party has also invested significant resources to attract Asian American voters. However, in recent years, an increasing number of Indian-Americans have begun to identify themselves as independent voters.
However, many media analyses suggest that, in terms of faith, economic background, and educational level, Indian-Americans are increasingly showing signs of diversity or even division, with varying attitudes towards Hindu nationalism promoted by Indian Prime Minister Modi.
The New York Times used the political leanings of Usha Vance as an example, stating that her parents rarely express political opinions but according to voter registration records, they are Democrats. In 2017, her mother signed a letter with 2,300 California professors urging Trump not to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Usha Vance herself is somewhat mysterious in politics; although her husband is a Republican vice presidential candidate, an online database listing voter registration records shows that Usha Vance had registered as a Democrat before 2014.
A piece published in National Magazine analyzes that the internal political differences among Indian-Americans are related to their immigration history.
The first group of Indian immigrants who benefited from the U.S.’s open immigration policy during the Cold War era were mostly elites in the STEM fields, often having high caste backgrounds, receiving good education, integrating into the middle class of America, tending to be liberal, and valuing personal success over collective struggle.
However, with the continuous growth of the American Indian community, the backgrounds of new Indian immigrants have become more complex, encompassing low caste, different religious beliefs, and political affiliations.
“Especially among those who grew up in the context of Hindu nationalism, there is a stronger alignment with right-wing views, emphasizing the superiority of Hinduism and opposing multiculturalism,” said “Ramaswami represents a new characteristic of the right-wing Indian-American.” The National Review magazine analyzed that they stand on the side of white Americans and strive to pull the Indian community in this direction. Prashad, a left-wing Indian-American researcher, believes that a new conservative trend emerged in the Jewish community of the United States during the 1960s, which was also reflected in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Now, similar things are happening within the Indian community.
Facing uncertainties in the US elections, India remains “the most composed”
What does the rise of Indian-Americans in American politics mean for US-India relations? Media analysis suggests that although Indian-Americans can play an important role in advocating for the development of US-Indian civil and national relations, overall, the expansion of their influence in American politics is not directly linked to US-India relations.
In an article titled “Why Has India’s Passion for Harris Cooled?” published by The Washington Post in July, it was noted that when Harris joined the Democratic presidential campaign in 2020, Indian media excitedly reported her Indian heritage extensively. They visited the village where Harris’s great-grandfather lived and shared Harris’s fondness for a traditional rice cake from India. However, soon afterward, observers within India began to cool towards Harris, and their strategic stance on India remained uncertain.
“Harris has not moved any mountains in US-India relations,” quoted an analyst in the report.
Qian Feng, a researcher at the National Research Institute of Strategic Studies at Tsinghua University and an expert on India, told reporters from “Global Times” that most Indian-Americans active in American politics are second or third generation immigrants. While they may have some sentiment towards their ancestral homeland, India, their identity is primarily American, naturally prioritizing American interests. Furthermore, having a close affinity with India does not necessarily mean they favor Modi’s government.
During the Biden administration, although US-India relations have made significant progress on the broad scale, the Democratic Party has consistently criticized the Modi government on issues such as religion and minority human rights.
Qian Feng informed the reporter that Indian Americans are diverse in their religious beliefs, with followers of Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam. For example, Republican Representative Lisa Hintz comes from a Sikh family and often critiques Modi’s Hindu nationalism. Additionally, minorities in the United States often need to appear more mainstream than whites to emphasize their loyalty to the country, which sometimes leads them to hold their ancestral homeland with even stricter attitudes.
However, Qian believes that developing US-India relations is a major trend and a consensus among both the Democratic and Republican parties. India is an important part of Washington’s “Indo-Pacific strategy,” making it the most composed stance compared to concerns about uncertainty in the US elections from Japan and Korea, Europe, or other regions.
He stated, “Regardless of who takes office, regardless of how many Indian Americans are in the US government, the general trend of advancing US-India relations is certain and determined by the international environment.”
“Overall, India finds itself at a geopolitical ‘sweet spot’, where tensions between China and the US escalate, and the US seeks Asian allies,” quoted Harsh Wadhwani Sringar, former Ambassador to Washington, from The Washington Post. He added that no matter who wins the election in November, India’s position remains solid.
“For India, it’s a win-win situation in any case.”