Elected representative data is from The House of Respresentatives History, Art, and Archives and the U.S. This analysis was compared and expanded with data from IMPACT. The list was developed by Diane Lauderdale, a social scientist at the University of Chicago. The Times used a list of Indian American surnames to identify candidates found in Federal Election Commission filings. “She's from Oakland too, and to have a Tamil woman from the Bay Area be on this national platform speaking our language was just a real moment.” About this story “There was that moment where Kamala Harris talked about her ‘Chitti,’ and I started tearing ,” said Ramachandran. Ramachandran said she was inspired by the way Harris incorporated her Tamil heritage into her campaign. If Ramachandran wins a run-off election in August, she would become the first South Asian woman elected to the state assembly, as well as the first LGBTQ woman from any Asian group. One example is Janani Ramachandran, who is seeking a California State Assembly seat representing parts of Oakland and other nearby cities. Forty-six first-time South Asian candidates are already expected to run for similar offices in 2022, according to data compiled by the group. In 2020, 35 South Asian candidates ran for state office nationwide, more than double four years prior.
Khanna said his parents' immigrant generation was mostly focused on settling in and making a life in the States, which led many of them to avoid rocking the boat and getting into politics.ĭue to their parents' success, many second generation Indian Americans now find themselves with some advantages. That includes Vice President Kamala Harris, who grew up in Oakland with a Jamaican father and mother who was born in Chennai, India. Many Indian American candidates come from a similar background. And how can we bring the values of our communities into this broader conversation."īera and Khanna are both second-generation Indian Americans raised by parents who immigrated to the country. "It's also about how can you get to the table. "This isn't about becoming an engineer or a doctor," said Bera. That would require convincing other Indian American professionals to consider a career change to get involved in politics. It wasn't until he was elected, he said, that he realized he would be the only Indian American in the House and committed to helping others with a similar background get elected. Ami Bera, an Indian American who represents parts of Sacramento.īoth were inspired to change careers and run for Congress after Obama became the first person of color elected president.īera, a practicing physician, said a desire to join Obama in reforming the healthcare system led him to seek office. As their numbers grow, their political power is strengthening and more Indians are appearing on the ballot in the Midwest and the South.ġ00k A second generation inspired to step upįormer President Obama was key to advancing the careers of Khanna and fellow California Rep. Unlike other Asian groups that are mostly concentrated on the West Coast, Indian Americans have increasingly spread out across the country.
House and Senate, more than all other states combined. Voters in the state have elected four Indian Americans to the U.S.
No state has more than California, which is home to more than 800,000 people of Indian descent. Their numbers have increased five times over since the 1990s and make up 1.3% of the U.S. population. Thanks to a long-standing immigration pipeline to the U.S., Indian Americans have become one of the country's fastest growing ethnic groups. Leading the wave are successful candidates from California, like Kamala Harris, who rose from a Senate seat to become vice president. In the last six years, nearly 80 candidates made it on the ballot, soaring far beyond numbers seen in past elections.
In a sign of the group's growing sway, more Indian Americans than ever are running for Congress.