At the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago last week, Indian Americans were actively involved in celebrating Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. The community, including elected representatives, delegates, and guests, was very visible and engaged throughout the event.
“There are over 700,000 eligible Indian Americans in the seven battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin,” said Shekar Narasimhan, a 2024 DNC delegate from Virginia and founder of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Fund.
A very wise politician said to us: “Democrats are feeling like Republicans did a month ago.”
Let’s go back to the doors this weekend. The only feeling that matters is the one on November 6th.@KamalaHarris @Tim_Walz @DNC
— Shekar Narasimhan (@ShekarNara) August 24, 2024
Narasimhan added, “President Joe Biden won six of these seven states by a total of 325,000 votes in 2020. So, clearly, Indian American voters matter.” According to Narasimhan, the community was well represented at the convention, with over 30 delegates and 40 elected officials, along with a significant number of new attendees, especially younger generations.
Ajay Bhutoria, an Indian American community leader, highlighted the strong involvement of the diaspora in Harris’s campaign. “At the DNC, I witnessed a strong sense of pride and commitment among Indian Americans, who see Vice President Harris not just as a first Indian American presidential candidate but as a symbol of the American dream,” Bhutoria said. He noted that the community is playing critical roles in driving her campaign forward through fundraising and voter outreach efforts.
Celebration yesterday night with @VP Vice President Harris , @SecondGentleman 2nd Gentlemen Doug , @Tim_Walz Governor Walz after accepting the nomination to be President of the United States of America pic.twitter.com/42EFPXR948
— Ajay Jain Bhutoria (@ajainb) August 23, 2024
The large presence of Indian Americans at the DNC reflects growing political engagement within the community, Bhutoria believes. “This presence reflects the widespread support for Harris’s campaign among Indian Americans, who see her as a leader who understands the challenges and aspirations of immigrant communities,” he said. Elected Indian American officials seen at the DNC included Shri Thanedar, Raja Krishnamoorthy, Aruna Miller, Neil Makhija, Jay Chaudhuri, Josh Kaul, Ram Villivalam, and many others.
Many second and third-generation Indian Americans were also actively involved in the convention and are expected to play important roles in Harris’s presidential campaign. Notable figures at the DNC included Praveen Meyyan, Shyamali Roy Hauth, Deepa Sharma, Shivanthia Sathanandan, and Harini Krishnan.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Chintan Patel, executive director of the Indian American Impact Fund, emphasized the community’s increasing political participation. “The number of DNC delegates and volunteers from the Indian American community has grown significantly,” he said. “This year, there was a concerted effort to engage and mobilize Indian American voters. Their presence and contributions are crucial as we work to ensure that our voices are heard and that we play a key role in shaping the future of our nation.”
Patel added that his organization looks forward to mobilizing South Asian Americans in unprecedented numbers for Harris’s campaign, stating, “We are confident that our community will help deliver the White House to Kamala Harris this November.”
