Kamala Harris may have lost the presidential battle but the story of the political success of Indian-Americans and the continued spike in their representation at the highest levels of American government continued in this election cycle.
All five Indian-American members of the House — California’s Ami Bera and Ro Khanna, Illinois’s Raja Krishnamoorthy, Michigan’s Sri Thanedar and Washington state’s Pramila Jayapal — were re-elected. And joining them in what is informally called the samosa caucus was a sixth Indian-American representative, Suhas Subramanyam from Virginia, a member of the state legislature who has become the first desi from the East coast to win a House race.
While all the members of the caucus proudly own their Indian roots, they are critical players in the American legislative process. Krishnamoorthy was the ranking member of the House select committee on competition with China in the last Congress, and if Democrats flip the house, will lead the strategically critical committee that exposes China’s belligerence and threats to both America and its allies and partners.
Khanna is the co-chair of the Indian caucus but also an important voice in the China committee, in the armed services and foreign affairs committees, and as representative from Silicon Valley, a key voice in tech policy debates.
{{/usCountry}}Khanna is the co-chair of the Indian caucus but also an important voice in the China committee, in the armed services and foreign affairs committees, and as representative from Silicon Valley, a key voice in tech policy debates.
{{/usCountry}}Bera was the ranking member of the Indo Pacific subcommittee of the House foreign affairs committee, and will lead the subcommittee if Democrats flip the house. He is also a co chair of the recently formed bipartisan Quad caucus. Thanedar has set up the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain caucus in the US Congress and is an active voice on community issues.
And Jayapal is the chair of the House progressive caucus, running one of the most influential blocs within the Democratic Party coalition. Subramanyam, who comes from a legal and tech background - he served as a tech policy advisor in the Obama administration — will find his own space in the committee system and bring his own voice to laws and policy debates.
It is striking that all Indian-American members of the House are Democrats, a sign that a majority of desis have historically supported the party and the party has been more open in giving space and representation to the community. But recent surveys have indicated an increase in Indian American support for Republicans and there are now prominent desi faces in the Grand Old Party as well. And while national media focus remains on the national Indian-American faces, the community’s representation across school boards, city councils, state houses, state senates is continuing to increase with every election cycle. Harris may have lose, but desis will remain a force to reckon with in American politics.