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Indian-Americans do not wield the political clout they should: Congressman Shri Thanedar
Currently, six Indian-Americans serve in the United States House of Representatives representing districts in California, Michigan, Illinois and Virginia states
Washington: Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar said on Tuesday that America’s roughly 5 million strong Indian origin community does not hold the political weight it should.
“I will be candid with you. Our Indian American community is far from growing political muscle. We still don’t have the kind of political power we deserve,” Thanedar said at an event hosted here in Washington by an Indian community group. Thanedar has served in the House of Representatives, America’s lower house, since 2023 when he was elected to represent Michigan’s 13th congressional district.
“The focus has always been to get an education, get a good job, start a business, buy a home, raise your children. There’s a lot that you want to do. But one thing that we don’t focus on is wanting to be part of mainstream America, and we can only be part of mainstream America if we have political power in this country,” Thanedar added.
Currently, six Indian-Americans serve in the United States House of Representatives representing districts in California, Michigan, Illinois and Virginia states. While no Indian-origin politician currently sits in the Senate, America’s upper house, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has announced his entry into the race to elect the next Senator from Illinois. The election will be held in 2026.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who rose to prominence during his campaign for the Presidency on a Republican ticket, is running to become the next Governor of the crucial state of Ohio. Ramaswamy is currently the frontrunner to become the Republican nominee in the election and has won President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Zohran Mamdani, another candidate with Indian roots, is now the front-runner to become New York City’s next mayor after pulling off a key political upset.
A slate of Indian-American candidates, including Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, has also begun to rise in state-level politics.
“Why is political power so important? Because you’re starting to see some things here. You said, trying to see people being American citizens, children of immigrants, being deported. We’re starting to see ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) going indiscriminately, picking people up from Home Depots and schools and places of worship. So our freedom is never guaranteed. Our rights are never guaranteed. We have got to fight for it. We have got to be vigilant about it. And when we see injustice, we need to stand against that,” said Thanedar on Tuesday.
According to a report by the Carnegie Endowment, Indians became the second largest foreign born group in the United States after Mexicans in 2020. Survey data shows that the community leans more towards the Democratic Party although President Trump’s Republicans have won more support from Indian voters in recent years.
