Harris Bid Accelerates the Political Impact of Indian Americans
Dalip Singh Saund serves as a bookend to a potential Harris Presidency
July 25, 2024
Indian Americans have experienced a remarkably fast ascent in American political leadership. Well before President Biden endorsed Kamala Harris for president—followed rapidly by endorsements from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Shri Thanedar (D-MI) and over 200 other members of Congress—Indian Americans have been making their mark in American politics.
Indeed, the first Asian American elected to the U.S. Congress was Dalip Singh Saund who won his seat in 1956. He achieved this feat less than one decade after he and others fought for the right of Indian immigrants to naturalize, and seven years after he was granted U.S. citizenship. Saund’s remarkable achievements have been memorialized in the U.S. Capitol, with a portrait on the landing of the East Grand Staircase that recognizes his valuable contributions to U.S. democracy.
Today, we are accustomed to seeing more and more Indian Americans making headlines in political and civic leadership in the United States. Pramila Jayapal, who was among the first to endorse Harris, leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus that counts nearly 100 U.S. Representatives. Ro Khanna, another member of the Progressive Caucus, has played a prominent role as a Biden surrogate, criss-crossing the country and pushing the importance of infrastructure investments and “progressive capitalism.” There are three other Indian American members in Congress, and in 2025 we will likely see another U.S. Representative, Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia, join the so-called “Samosa Caucus” in Washington, D.C.
Indian Americans have also been making headway in the Republican Party, with Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Usha Vance as rising stars that represent the party’s future. Many others, including Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and Trump appointees Ajit Pai (former chair of the Federal Communications Commission), Seema Verma (a senior Health and Human Services administrator), and Raj Shah (former Deputy Press Secretary) have risen swiftly through the ranks of the Republican Party.
The rapid ascent of Indian Americans in American politics is surprising given their relatively recent arrival in the United States when compared to other immigrant-origin groups like Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and even Latino immigrants who have had a significant presence in the United States since the early 1900s. By contrast, most Indian immigrants came to the United States well after 1965, when the United States lifted its restrictive Asian quotas. People like Kamala Harris, who was born in 1964, were born at a time when only 100 Indian immigrants were allowed into the country each year.
The rapid ascent of Indian Americans in American politics is surprising given their relatively recent arrival in the United States when compared to other immigrant-origin groups like Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and even Latino immigrants who have had a significant presence in the United States since the early 1900s.
If it is rare for first- and second-generation Asian immigrants to do well in U.S. politics, why are Indian Americans defying expectations so dramatically? Prior research, including my book Democracy in Immigrant America (2005), indicates that immigrants who come from robust democracies are more likely to be engaged in American politics than those who come from communist regimes or other autocratic countries.
India has been a vibrant democracy since 1947, with competitive elections, strong party brands, and relatively high voter turnout even among those with limited education or literacy. Having a robust system of representative democracy also means that running for office and serving diverse constituents is familiar to Indian immigrants, who may themselves run for office or encourage their children to do so.
Having a robust system of representative democracy also means that running for office and serving diverse constituents is familiar to Indian immigrants, who may themselves run for office or encourage their children to do so.
High levels of English proficiency also matter. As a legacy of British colonial rule, India counts English as an official language, and most high-skilled Indian immigrants to the United States have been taught in English since elementary school. High English proficiency expedites immigrant political incorporation in several ways. Not only are Indian immigrants able to consume American news and get well versed in American politics, they are also less likely to face language-based discrimination in the United States even as they face other forms of racial discrimination.
Indeed, my prior research shows that racial and ethnic discrimination may be a motivating factor for political engagement, but lack of English proficiency may make immigrants more hesitant to participate in politics. Thus, for example, Chinese immigrants tend to feel less comfortable speaking up in public hearings and asking to meet their member of Congress, even if they face similar levels of racial discrimination as Indian Americans.
Finally, the growing prosperity of Indian Americans, combined with the remarkable success of earlier candidates, has meant that Indian Americans have the resources and the motivation to get more politically involved. The early successes of candidates like Bobby Jindal, who won Congressional races in 2004 and 2006, and subsequent victories by Nikki Haley as Republican governor of South Carolina in 2010 and Ami Bera (Congress in 2012) and Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal (Congress in 2016), has inspired a new generation of Indian Americans to run for state office and federal office. With the creation of Indian American Impact in 2016, the community has now built a stronger system of political endorsements, mentoring and fundraising to help future candidates.
With the creation of Indian American Impact in 2016, the community has now built a stronger system of political endorsements, mentoring and fundraising to help future candidates.
All of this means that, while Kamala Harris may be the first person of Indian origin to be a major party presidential nominee, she is unlikely to be the last. A mix of factors, ranging from the long tradition of democratic politics in India to the resources and motivation of Indian Americans who see others like them succeed in politics, will continue to propel Indian Americans to vote, contribute, and serve in American politics.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley and the founder and executive director of AAPI Data.