The rise and rise of Indian Americans in US politics

The Americans were bracing themselves for some old white man vs old white man action this election season but with Biden stepping away from the race now, the US national election promises to kick off one of the most interesting periods in American politics. It is time for Indian Americans to step up to the plate.

When President Joe Biden announced his decision to end his presidential campaign, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Usha Vance, the wife of former President Donald Trump's vice-presidential nominee JD Vance, is also of Indian origin. Earlier this year, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy were among the last candidates standing in the Republican primary, indicating Indian Americans' growing political presence and clout.

Beyond anecdotes, data show that Indian Americans have historically been disproportionately elected to important government positions. While Indian Americans make up 0.6% of the adult citizen population in the United States, their representation in the House of Representatives is nearly double that figure. A recent report by San Francisco-based Indiaspora found that Indian Americans hold 4.4% of senior government positions.

The shared colonial heritage of the two countries contributes to Indian Americans' political success in comparison to other immigrant groups in the US. The Indian government model is also very similar to that of the US. Despite the fact that India is a parliamentary democracy, both countries are democracies with strong constitutions that guarantee rights.

A community on the up

Indian immigrants are also among the fastest-growing groups in the country. The Indian American population in the US increased from 400,000 in 1980 to 4.4 million in 2020, accounting for 1.5% of the total US population. Furthermore, Indian Americans have surpassed Chinese Americans as the largest single-origin Asian group in the country, by approximately 270,000. 

They are also one of the fastest-growing voter groups in the country, with more than 2.1 million adults eligible to vote and over 235,000 naturalising during the most recent four-year cycle. According to AAPI Data, Indian Americans had the highest voter turnout of any Asian American group in 2020 (71%). This level of participation was comparable to voter turnout among non-Hispanic white Americans (71%), the highest of any racial group in 2020. 

Most Indians immigrated to the United States after 1965, when a new immigration law lifted restrictions that had kept Asians, Africans, and others out of the country. The Indian population in the United States has grown dramatically in recent decades, particularly as American companies in the thriving technology sector have sought to hire large numbers of software engineers and computer programmers, attracting some of India's most educated employees.

On average, Indians are the wealthiest and most educated Asians in the US. And, on almost every measure of political and civic engagement, Indian Americans rank at or near the top among Asian groups, owing largely to their origins in a country with a strong democratic tradition and widespread use of English.

English is a national language in India as a result of British colonisation, and most Indian immigrants to the US were educated in English.

Indian Americans are also becoming a stronger political force in Washington state. Among all counties in the US, King County had the second-largest increase in foreign-born residents. Indians make up the second largest foreign-born population in Washington state, and India is the most common country of origin for immigrants in King County. 

Indian Americans have had disproportionate success in Washington state politics. Despite constituting only 2% of the state's population and 1% of its eligible voters, Indian Americans have been elected to the state's delegation to the United States House of Representatives (with Pramila Jayapal representing the 7th Congressional District) as well as the state Senate and House, where Sen. Manka Dhingra and Rep. Vandana Slatter serve. Shasti Conrad, the Washington Democratic Party's leader, is a prominent state political figure with South Asian roots.

In 2020, the Biden-Harris ticket received more than 70% of the Indian American vote; support for Harris is expected to rise this year.

Earlier this year, Harris spoke at Indian American Impact's "Desis Decide" summit, where she credited Indian and Asian Americans with helping to elect two Democratic senators in 2020 and 2021.

Voter turnout among South Asian Americans has steadily increased in recent years. In 2020, for example, more than 70% of registered South Asian American voters cast ballots in Pennsylvania.

Not just the US

In 2022, Rishi Sunak, a brown-skinned former Chancellor of the Exchequer, made history by becoming the UK's youngest prime minister in 210 years at the age of 42.

This is evident in the private sector, where executives born and raised in India have been appointed to lead major multinational corporations. Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet (Google's parent company) are three of the most well-known examples of Indian talent at the helm of multinational American corporations.

The phenomenon has also spread to politics. In recent years, politicians of Indian descent have risen to lead Western governments. Portugal's prime minister, Antonio Luís Santos da Costa, served from 2015 to April. In Ireland, Leo Varadkar served as prime minister from 2017 to 2020, and again from December 2022.

How are the Bangladeshi origin politicians doing?

In the most recent midterm elections in the US, four candidates of Bangladeshi origin were elected in various states.

The four Bangladeshi candidates who won are Georgia state senators Sheikh Rahman and Nabilah Islam, Connecticut state senator Md Masudur Rahman, and New Hampshire House Representative Aboul Khan.

Sheikh Rahman, a Bangladeshi American, was elected unopposed for the third time in Georgia. Nabilah Islam won Georgia's State Senate election for the first time. Masudur Rahman also won the Connecticut Senate elections for the first time. They all ran for the Democratic party.

Bangladeshi involvement in grassroots activism is exemplified by DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving), a multigenerational organisation in New York City that mobilises low-wage South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants, including Bangladeshis, for social and political change.

DRUM, founded in 2000, conducts daily outreach, leadership development through workshops and training, and runs policy campaigns on immigration, civil rights, education, and labour rights.