Tag: Indian-Americans

Four Indian-Americans among 32 students chosen as Rhodes Scholars from US

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Four Indian-Americans are among the cohort of 32 students chosen from the US as Rhodes Scholars virtually for the first time this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The diverse group, that won scholarships to the Oxford University in England, comprises immigrants and students of colour.

American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust Elliot Gerson announced the names of the 32 Americans chosen as Rhodes Scholars representing the US on Sunday. The four Indian-American students include Swathi R Srinivasan, Vijayasundaram Ramasamy, Garima P Desai and Savarni Sanka.

Never before has a class of Rhodes Scholars been elected entirely virtually, with both candidates and selectors participating safely, independently and digitally, Gerson said. He said this year’s class for the prestigious scholarship reflects the remarkable diversity that characterises and strengthens the United States.

Out of the 32 students, 22 are of colour; 10 are Black, equal to the greatest number ever elected in one year in the United States, nine are first-generation Americans or immigrants and one is a Dreamer with active Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Seventeen of the winners are women, 14 are men, and one is non-binary. These bright young Americans will go to Oxford October next year to study in fields broadly across the social, biological and physical sciences, the humanities, and public policy.

They are leaders already, and we are confident that their contributions to public welfare globally will expand exponentially over the course of their careers, Gerson said. Srinivasan from Ohio is a senior at Harvard College with double concentrations in Social Studies and History of Science, with a focus on public health inequality. She is also writing a thesis for the Chemistry Department. She was an intern at the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS in Geneva, has done extensive research and activism on the opioid epidemic, and chaired the Policy Program at the Kennedy School Institute of Politics. She is also a Ghungroo choreographer. At Oxford, she intends to do the M.Sc. in International Health and Tropical Medicine and the M.Sc. in Comparative Social Policy, the press release from the Rhodes Trust said.

Ramasamy from Kansas graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2018 with a major in Public Health Studies. Since graduation, he was for one year a Special Assistant in the Baltimore City Health Department and is currently working as Policy and Budget Advisor in the Office of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, with responsibilities for the State’s COVID-19 re-opening plan. While at Johns Hopkins, he was an active volunteer in healthcare and social services in underserved neighbourhoods. He was also co-President of the University Hindu Students Council, worked as a research and teaching assistant in public health, and has been very active in political campaigns. At Oxford, he intends to do the M.Sc. in Comparative Social Policy and the Master of Public Policy, the release said. Desai, hailing from California, graduated in May 2020 from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a double major in Environmental Studies and Economics. She currently works as a transportation planner in Oakland, California. While at UC-Santa Cruz, she worked as a research assistant on issues related to housing and transportation. She is passionate about using economics as a tool to solve pressing climate issues. At Oxford, she plans to pursue an M.Sc. in Economics for Development and an M.Sc. in Environmental Change and Management, the release said.

Sanka from North Carolina is a senior at Wake Forest University where she majors in Politics and International Affairs and in Spanish, with a minor in Middle East and South Asia Studies. She has a perfect academic record and is a leader of many student organisations including the Hindu Students Association and the Student Association for the Advancement of Refugees. She has also studied or done volunteer work in Spain, Morocco, and Nicaragua. Passionate about improving the welfare of migrants and marginalised people everywhere, at Oxford, she plans to do the M.Sc. in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and the Master of Public Policy. Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. The Scholarships were created in 1902 by the Will of Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes Scholars are chosen in a two-stage process. First, applicants must be endorsed by their college or university. This year more than 2,300 students began the application process; 953 were endorsed by 288 different colleges and universities. Committees of Selection in each of 16 US districts then invite the strongest applicants to appear before them virtually for interview.

The 32 Rhodes Scholars chosen from the US will join an international group of scholars selected from more than 60 countries around the world. In addition to the 32 Americans, scholars are also now selected from countries including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong and India, among others. A Rhodes Scholar should show great promise of leadership. In short, we seek outstanding young people of intellect, character, leadership and commitment to service, Gerson said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Biden’s Big Tent: A place for Indian-Americans of all faiths

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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“Do we want to go forward? Do we want to embrace a vision of tolerance, of non-discrimination, of unity, of peaceful coexistence?”

–      Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

Indian Americans comprise slightly more than one percent of the total U.S. population – and less than one percent of all registered voters. Yet it is the second-largest immigrant group in America and has clout beyond its numbers. 

According to 2020 ‘Indian American Attitudes Survey’ by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and YouGov, the Indian-American vote, while small in numbers, is going to be a defining vote, especially in the battleground states.

In fact, in select swing states, the Indian American population is larger than the margin of victory that separated Hillary Clinton and Trump in the closely contested 2016 presidential race. 

Indian-Americans come from so many different faiths – Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Judaism, Jain, and Sikhism – and bring the tenets of their beliefs to an America which needs unity and civility.

‘Shoulder to Shoulder’, a recent interfaith virtual event organized by the Biden-Harris team showed how the ticket is drawing a vast array of Indians of different religions who may not vote uniformly even in India. The groups include Sikh Americans for Biden, Hindu Americans for Biden, Jews for Biden and Muslims for Biden, as well as Christians and Buddhists.

Why are so many different religious communities from India coming together for Biden?

In a display of unity showcasing the diverse faith traditions in the South Asian Diaspora, prominent South Asian faith leaders emphasized how the faith communities have come together to mobilize under the Biden-Harris umbrella in response to the darkness of the Trump era.

Speakers included U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Washington Sen. Manka Dhingra, Virginia Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Dr. Neeta Jain, Biden for President Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor Maju Varghese among others.

“It is historical that we are having for the first time interfaith conversations within South Asian America for a presidential candidate,” says Khyati Joshi, a scholar of race, religion and immigration and educator at Fairleigh Dickinson University. “We can truly build solidarity and organize around issues that affect our communities. We see with the Trump administration that we, as South Asian Americans, as proud Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs, have been attacked for both our racial and religious identity.”

While first-generation immigrants stay with Democrats due to the comfort level, their children and grandchildren, many of whom are activists or in public policy, are with the party for its mantra of inclusion and seeking justice for all. 

“In the United States, post-1965 it’s not only a second generation but a third-generation, many of them are voting, have been voting and are getting ready to vote. You have many second-generation professionals who view politics and view religion in a way differently than the immigrant generation. It’s really important to the second generation folks that we do have these ties across faith with other South Asian Americans. So I think it’s a confluence of forces.”

Joshi, who is the author of ‘White Christian Privilege: The illusion of religious equality in America, ‘ believes this new generation is working for justice in solidarity with other groups.

She says: “When we are having interfaith conversations within South Asian America, which doesn’t happen very often, I think that we can truly build solidarity and be able to organize around issues that affect our communities.”

This awareness of the ‘other’ is very much there with the new generation of Indian-Americans. Valarie Kaur, an activist and documentary filmmaker maker, invokes the values of Sikhism in calling out the injustices to Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in a nation that still sees black lives as disposable.

She points out that the 220,000 people who have died from COVID-19 are disproportionately black, brown and indigenous people, dying in a pandemic that was preventable in both scale and scope.

This adherence to faith traditions exists across generations. Kaur recalled, “My dadaji came to America in 1913, 107 years ago. He arrived by steamship to California, with a turban. He was a simple farm labourer, and yet he joined a generation of Muslim and Hindu and Sikh immigrants who fought for decades against racist laws, just for the right to become a citizen. And once my dadaji finally became a citizen, he never missed an election. Even in his 90s, my father would carry him in his arms, just so that he could vote at the polls and cast his ballot.” 

Dr. Asha Shipman, a Hindu spiritual leader, offered a Hindu invocation and said, “The attention to maintaining karma or goodness requires constant vigilance. This has always been true, but we recognize how the work is made better and less burdensome by a groundswell of everyday citizens who refuse to look away and pledge their time and resources towards a united venture.”

Adnan Zulfiqar, a legal scholar and historian, offered an Islamic invocation. He’s an associate professor of law at Rutgers Law School, where he teaches courses on criminal law, criminal procedure and Islamic law.

He’s been involved with the Committee of the religious leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia, the Zones of Peace interfaith task force, and the steering committee for the Jewish and Muslim Emerging Leaders. 

“Your family is not simply those people who are in your household, or who you share blood with,” he said. “They are the people, especially at this moment, those essential workers, postal workers, grocery store clerks, garbage collectors, doctors, and nurses who are taking care of you, taking care of this community. We are family to each other. The people who are protesting for change are your family,” 

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi serves on the Oversight Committee and is the chairman of the Subcommittee on economic and consumer policy, as well as on the House Intelligence Committee. He’s a proud Hindu who took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita.

He shared a telling story of being Hindu in America: “When I first ran for office here in Illinois, I said to someone ‘My name is Raja Krishnamoorthi.’ And the person in Chicago looked right back at me and said, ‘Roger Christian Murphy’. And so, it’s so nice to be among folks who share a common origin story as myself! I was born in India. I came here when I was three months old. And the rest is history. I’m now in the United States Congress.”

Krishnamoorthi said that 125 years ago in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda shared the message that we must embrace all and love all. “Do we want to go forward? Do we want to embrace a vision of tolerance, of non-discrimination, of unity, of peaceful coexistence?” asks Krishnamoorthi. “Or do we want to live in a morass of intolerance, of division, and hate? Regardless of what religion we belong to, what faith we subscribe to, we all believe in values, we believe in our faith system”. 

Maju Varghese, a Christian, is the Chief Operating Officer, and Senior Advisor for Biden for President. He recalled the basement churches frequented by his immigrant family and said what’s on the ballot is the legacy of our families: “I am a fierce defender of the immigrant experience. I saw the ups and downs. We may not be related by blood, but it comes down to community, and fighting for our community.”

Senator Ghazala Hashmi, who represents the 10th senatorial district in Virginia helped flip a longstanding red seat and secured a democratic majority in the Virginia Senate. A Muslim, she says, “We stand in neat rows, shoulder to shoulder ideally with no gaps in between the worshipers, and this form of prayer is symbolic in so many ways. It reflects a commonality of purpose, it speaks to the solidarity of those who worship, and it challenges the notion of hierarchy and social distinction. It speaks to the ways in which we are fundamentally united as human beings.”

She says this idea of common and coherent purpose has served as a clear reminder of America’s bold and unique experiment. The goal of making one unified nation of people who have come from so many different backgrounds and beliefs, and this ideal is the heart of the democratic experience.

The Biden tent shows the best of an imperfect world where Hindus and Muslims and others live together in harmony. In India, this may be true in theory but often not in practice. The support for Biden across the board shows Indian-Americans engaged with the community and concerned about fairness and justice for all.

Dr. Neeta Jain, Democratic district leader in New York, and elected DNC delegate talked about the values of Jainism and the path of non-violence of Gandhi which was followed by Marin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

“They both adopted a path of non-violence to save humanity, to save human lives. So Jain principles are core values of humanity, which teach us mutual understanding, mutual respect.”

South Asians for Biden Advisor Ann Ratnayake Macy who is Buddhist, also shared her thoughts on the importance of getting behind the Biden-Harris ticket.

“President Trump peddles in anger, fear and greed and hatred, lies and delusion, and he spreads them with words, similar to pouring gasoline on an already lit vitriolic fire that’s burning,” she said.

“All major religions have an internal compass that focuses on cultivating compassion and empathy towards others. As people of faith, we stand together to put out that fire and work to bring policies that help ‘the other.'”

Krishnamoorthi gets the last word, “There’s an old saying in Washington DC, which is, if you don’t have a seat at the table – you’re on the menu! And none of us, our families, our communities, and certainly not our priorities can be on the menu. We can’t afford that any longer.” 

Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina. Read her columns here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Indian-American supporters of Trump, Biden clash over leaders’ policies

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A South-Asian support group for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has slammed President Donald Trump for tearing apart communities and failing to denounce white supremacy while a strong Indian-American supporter of Trump said he has united minority communities, views that highlighted a clash between Indian-Americans over policies of the two leaders.

Jay Kansara, former director of Director of Government Relations at the Hindu American Foundation and a Trump supporter said that Trump has done very well with Hispanic voters even though the Democrats are still trying to claim victory in states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.

He said this is an indication that the Democrats have simply not accepted the reality that Trump actually united minority communities – African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans. Kansara was part of a discussion during a virtual post-election political analysis hosted by leading nonprofit Indian diaspora organisation Indiaspora’.

Responding strongly to Kansara’s assertion, National Director of South Asians for Biden Neha Dewan said, I think we might be living in different countries when Kansara says that Trump really united the minority communities. ”Because I think that probably may be the first that I’ve heard. Our community certainly has been torn apart with the Muslim ban, the spike in hate crimes in our communities. So I’m not sure where the unity part of that comes in. I must have been sleeping over the last four years, Dewan said.

She added that she ”cannot really think of anything” that Trump has done for ”our community.” That’s the part that we’ve really been hearing from our community. Our community has been suffering from COVID-19, whether it’s people on the frontline or small businesses that have suffered as a result of it. And that’s just not it. Immigrants who are here legally and want to have a shot at life and all of a sudden (Trump is) suspending H-1B applications.

Kansara, holding up a placard that read ’Indian Voices For Trump’, said he had voted for President Barack Obama twice but could not vote for Hillary Clinton because I knew the damage that she had inflicted on the world as Secretary of State, and I knew the damage that Biden had done as Vice President. He asserted that Trump has actually had the back of minority communities such as Asian-Americans and added that the President stands for equity in education and equal opportunity.

Dewan shot back saying ”talking about equity in education, I’m at a loss as to what that even means from this administration because all we’ve seen is just white supremacy. When you have the president of a country who does not even denounce white supremacy, I’m not even sure where the minority piece in that comes in. She also added that with Trump it has been, If I win, it’s because I won. If I lose, it’s because they’ve cheated.

Now that it looks like Trump is losing, she said it can’t possibly be because the people have not spoken for me, it’s because they’ve cheated and that’s what we’re seeing. Lawsuit after lawsuit, making stuff up. But this is par for the course, this is to be expected. This is not something new. I don’t think this is a surprise for anybody. She, however, noted that it is surprising to see members of the Indian-American and South Asian communities not seeing and acknowledging the carnage that has been inflicted on them by the Trump administration.

They just blindly sort of drink the Kool Aid and say well this person has been amazing for our community and unity’. It just blows my mind. Kansara responded that the number one way in which Trump has united minorities, particularly first-generation immigrants, is against this notion that America will become a socialist country. And unfortunately, the Democratic Party is no longer the party of JFK (John F Kennedy) who was absolutely the most ardent enemy of communism during his time as well as a great friend to India.

Most immigrants believe that they do not want to stand in breadlines that Nancy Pelosi can hand them out bread. They do not want to sit at home while their businesses have been shut down for these arduous lockdowns while Nancy Pelosi again gets to go to the salon, he said. Kansara added that the ”Democratic dictatorship needs to be countered and the Republican party has a very strong chance of countering it in 2022. He also added that Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, could lose her seat when she goes for her Senate re-election if there’s a strong Republican candidate against her.

As Biden inches closer to securing the Electoral College votes, Dewan said there is a sense of hope in the campaign. It’s not over until it’s over but for the first time in so long, we have hope.

She said South Asians for Biden was formed in December 2019 and the group is also celebrating the inroads that we’ve made with our community with regards to organising, celebrating our differences, joining hands, speaking to people who have never voted before and who’ve taken interest. Just from a grassroots perspective, we feel like we have won with our community and of course there’s a lot more to be done. This is a movement that I believe has started and there’s a lot of hope for sure, she said.

Here: For our in-depth coverage of the US elections 2020, please visit our LIVE blog

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Over dozen Indian Americans, including 5 women, win state polls; another 4 re-elected to Congress

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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More than a dozen Indian Americans, including five women, have won state-level elections, marking a first for the community in many instances. This is in addition to the four Indian Americans elected to the US HouAll Postsse of Representatives: Dr Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi. At least three other races, including one for the US House of Representatives, are yet undecided.

The five women elected to state legislatures are Jenifer Rajkumar to the New York State Assembly, Nima Kulkarni to the Kentucky State House, Kesha Ram to the Vermont State Senate, Vandana Slatter to the Washington State House and Padma Kuppa to the Michigan State House. Niraj Antani has been declared elected to the Ohio State Senate, while Jay Chaudhuri has been re-elected to the North Carolina State Senate. Amish Shah has been elected to the Arizona State House, Nikil Saval to the Pennsylvania State Senate, Ranjeev Puri to the Michigan State House and Jeremy Cooney to the New York State Senate. Ash Kalra has been re-elected to the California State Assembly for the third consecutive term. Ravi Sandill has won the District Court Judge polls in Texas.

Kesha Ram is the first woman of colour elected to the Vermont State Senate, Nikil Saval is the first Indian American elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Jenifer Rajkumar is the first South Asian woman elected to the New York state office and Niraj Antani is the first Indian American elected to the Ohio Senate. ”This year’s election represented a giant leap forward for the Indian Americans’ role in US politics,” said Neil Makhija from the Impact Funds, which had raised a whopping USD 10 million during this election cycle and endorsed a large number of Indian American candidates.

”Indian American voters and candidates demonstrated the burgeoning power and influence of this important voting bloc in decisive fashion, which will help make the difference in key states like Michigan and Pennsylvania,” he added. Makhija said the election featured a record number of Indian American candidates running in key state and federal races across the country, as well as the first Indian American to be on a presidential ticket, in vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

The USD 10 million raised by Impact Funds were invested in the presidential, state-wide, and congressional races in battleground states, including nearly USD 2 million apiece in Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina and Texas, it said. Around 20 lakh Indian American voters exercised their franchise in this year’s election. According to the Center for American Progress, Indian Americans register and vote at higher rates. This election cycle, there were nearly five lakh Indian American voters in the battleground states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Dr Hiral Tipirneni is leading by a narrow margin for the US House of Representatives seat in Arizona. The two other undecided races at the state level feature Rupande Mehta for the New Jersey State Senate and Nina Ahmad for Pennsylvania Auditor General. Four Indian Americans, including two women, lost Congressional races. They are Sri Preston Kulkarni from Texas, Manga Anantatmula from Virginia and Nisha Sharma and Ritesh Tandon from California. Indian-origin politicians Sara Gideon and Rik Mehta lost the Senate race from Maine and New Jersey respectively.

Here: For our in-depth coverage of the US elections 2020, please visit our LIVE blog

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

US Presidential Elections 2020: Will the Indian-American samosa caucus be re-elected?

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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If you thought samosas were just for eating, you haven’t heard of the Samosa Caucus, Washington’s high-powered desi brigade in the US Congress. Representatives Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal are the dynamic Indian-American leaders who have brought their legislative skills to Congress. They, along with Kamala Harris in the Senate, have stamped their imprint on political life in the US. 

As the 2020 election draws near, all four of them are up for re-election and Harris may well become the next vice-president of America. What is less well-known is the fact that over 70 Indian-Americans are also running up and down the ballot, and they may be responsible for a blue flip in many states. 

Recently in this time of pandemic and virtual gatherings, we got to meet all four representatives of the Samosa Caucus, as they shared a Zoom screen for a conversation with Richard Varma, former US Ambassador to India, in a panel organized by IMPACT, a political action group. All of them spoke of the larger picture during the pandemic and their efforts in bringing relief.

Dr Ami Bera was elected as Congressman from California, and is currently a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation. He is also a Leadership Member for the New Democrat Coalition, a group of over 100 forward-thinking Democrats. 

While he grew up in California, his father came from a farming family in Rajkot near Ahmadabad for higher education in America. “My father was the first in his family to go to high school,” he says. “He got a master’s in engineering and my mother became a teacher.”

I had interviewed him when he had first become a Congressman, and Bera, who is a physician, said his motivation was the excellent education he had received. “I’ve been fortunate in what this country has offered both me and my family. I’ve been blessed by good fortune, and I think it is our obligation that the next generation has the same opportunities,”

As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he said about the current pandemic, “I’m also concerned about the global impact of the pandemic and how we work together with the global community, both on vaccine development manufacturing and distribution, but also the real food insecurity that we’re seeing as well as the fragility of many countries around the world. The US does need to return to the global stage, and I’m working with like-minded allies.”

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorti was elected in 2016 to represent the 8th District of Illinois and serves on the Oversight Committee, for which he is also the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and on the House Intelligence Committee. In addition to this committee work, he was selected as an Assistant Whip and served on the Steering and Policy Committee.

Krishnamoorthi, while acknowledging the many important issues the Caucus deals with, said: “One issue of great importance to me as an immigrant myself – I came to this country when I was three months old – is comprehensive immigration reform. Whether you are documented or undocumented, we have to make sure that we find a pathway into the fabric of our society for everybody at this point.” 

He talked about ways to make the H1 B program better and was a co-sponsor of the Fairness for high-skilled Immigrants Act which will basically remove the current country quotas that create tremendous backlogs.

He gave the example of an accomplished doctor in Illinois who has been in the country for 15 years – and yet has 13 years left until he can get a green card. So he asked the doctor what is Plan B for him to become a permanent resident.

The doctor joked if he didn’t get the card in an old-fashioned way, then his five-year-old son who was born here and would be 18 in 13 years, would then sponsor him for a green card!

Krishnamoorthi recalls, “I said, ‘You better take good care of Plan B. No extra sugary and salty snacks for him!’ But that’s not the way our system has to work, and so I’m hopeful that under a Joe Biden administration we’re finally going to be able to get this legislation through the Senate, and then signed into law as part of a comprehensive immigration reform package.”

Another dynamic member of the Samosa Caucus is Representative Pramila Jayapal who was born in India, and grew up in India, Indonesia and Singapore and came to the United States by herself at the age of 16 to attend college at Georgetown University.

Elected in 2016, she is now serving her second term in Congress representing Washington’s 7th District. She is the first South Asian American woman to be elected and has been an outspoken leader in immigration and social issues. She is the Vice-Chair of the immigration subcommittee which has been working on several issues including restoring some of the gains under an Obama administration which were lost in the Trump years, such as ensuring that the spouses of H1B can work in the US.  

Jayapal is also very aware of the issue of undocumented immigrants and draws attention to a recent study which shows that six and a half percent of Indian-Americans now live under the poverty threshold. She and Kamala Harris have also worked on a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights to bring civil rights protection to two and a half million domestic workers. Ever since she came into Congress 

Jayapal has worked on the South Asian Heart Health Bill, and there’s hope that it will pass in the Senate and get signed into law.   

Representative Ro Khanna represents California’s 17th Congressional District and is serving in his second term. He sits on the House Budget, Armed Services, and Oversight and Reform committees and is first vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He also serves as an Assistant Whip for the Democratic Caucus. He is active with Jayapal on the Progressive Caucus which is addressing the many issues of the pandemic.

He believes that in the upcoming election, the voting strength of the Indian community can be decisive in the swing states in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin and that it’s going to be a great moment for the community. 

Indeed, several Indian-Americans are running this year:

• Hiral Tipirneni, The Democratic nominee for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
• Sri Kulkarni, The Democratic nominee for Texas’ 22nd Congressional District and Sarah Gideon who is running for the Senate seat.

So the Samosa Caucus may well be expanding. As Krishnmoorthi jokes: “We need more pakoras, more idlis, more vadas. We need everyone in Congress, so Congress looks more like America.”

Bera agrees: “It is just amazing to see that the next generation is stepping up, running on their stories and running on the values that our community represents and not running away from who we are and those values, I think that this is going to be a remarkable century for our community.”

Khanna believes Indian-Americans, as immigrants, bring special strengths to create a more just world: “I think that the greatest service the South Asian community can do is to draw on traditions that are so great, a civilization that is so great, and help bring those principles, stand up for those principles in the 21st century.”

 Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina. Read her columns here.​

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

The Counting Game: Getting a larger share of the American pie

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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For Indians in America, there is some good news – and some bad news. The good news is that a hefty percentage of the Indian-American community has already been counted in the 2020 Census – the bad news is that there are still a number of people who are in the dark and have not come forward to be counted – and time is running out. As of now, there is a self-response rate of 63.8 percent in New York.

Indians, like all immigrants, have concerns on many fronts – the pandemic, the economic devastation, health issues and families set asunder by the quarantine. Yet there is another battle raging and this is a silent one – to stand up and be counted. It is the simplest act – almost as easy as signing an attendance sheet to mark their presence in America. The benefits are immense, a chance to get their fair share of rights, their piece of the American pie.

“As New York looks to rebuild from the economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that one way out of this is to make sure every person is counted, so that we can get our fair share of resources, representation and respect,” says Meeta Anand, the facilitator and convener of NY Counts 2020, and a Senior Census Fellow at the New York Immigration Coalition.

Indeed, census data is used to allocate $1.5 trillion in federal funds to local communities for education, housing, infrastructure, and transportation. This data also measures the spread of diseases, and assists in the ordering of vaccines and setting up contact tracing. The numbers from the 2020 Census also determine political power in Congress and the political representation of communities at all levels of government.

It is almost zero hour to be counted as the contested deadline of October 31 looms. Earlier there was the fear factor as the Trump administration had tried to include a citizenship question and had also underfunded the census outreach and tried to hasten the census deadline which was challenged in court. The goal is to reach undercounted and at-risk populations who have not yet responded so that the census bureau can deliver the counts to President and Congress as required by law in December.

NYC Census 2020 has been an ambitious $40 million project launched by Mayor Bill de Blasio in January 2019 to ensure an accurate count of all New Yorkers. It includes the empowerment of 157 community-based organizations to engage with historically undercounted communities using multilingual messaging and marketing and a commitment to investing in the ethnic media to get the word out in all 245 neighborhoods of New York City.

So why are so many people, including Indians and other South Asians, reluctant to come out of the dark and show themselves?.

As Amit Singh Bagga, Deputy Director, NYC Census 2020, explains: “Some people came here four months ago, some came four years ago while some like my parents came more than 50 years ago. We really do have very strong and diverse networks within our South Asian communities and within those networks, we all know someone who maybe has immigration issue or maybe who doesn’t own their own home or perhaps lives in an informal housing arrangement.”

As he points out, the South Asian community in the New York area is large and very diverse, the biggest groups being Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, with a fast-growing Nepalese and Tibetan population, with varying self-response rates. Advocacy groups like Chaya CDC, Desis Rising Up and other community partnerships have made a dent in these communities with their efforts. An example is the Richmond Hill community which is heavily Punjabi Sikh and also has an Indo-Caribbean population. It started out with only an 8 percent response rate but has now reached 52.7 percent, which is still 10 percentage points behind the average but is a commendable change as earlier it was towards the bottom of the response rates.

According to Anand, there are hard to count communities such as low-income immigrant communities that have several issues such as residence in illegal basements or sharing overcrowded spaces, being undocumented or have fallen out of status. “Even though the census is completely confidential and safe, they may feel some fear in responding for fear that there may be some negative consequences for them,” she says.

The cornerstone of the city’s outreach has been to have a very diverse team of outreach specialists who speak many different South Asian languages, reach out through local groups and religious institutions, and use social media to familiarize those who have not filled the survey yet. To raise the comfort level of those who have not yet stepped forward, there are advertisements and posters, and Indian celebrities and influencers have created PSAs.

Thus you have popular actor Kal Penn encouraging everyone to stand up for what’s rightly theirs. “So who counts in a census? Everyone counts,” he says in the PSA. “That means newborns and that means seniors citizens and non-citizens, owners and renters. Those of us who are on the lease and those of us who are not on the lease and everyone in-between. If you live in New York City, you’re a New Yorker and you need to be counted. All it takes is answering 10 simple questions in less than 10 minutes to decide the next 10 years of New York City.” To reach those who do not speak English, Penn speaks in Gujarati too.

Anand suggests that people who have already filed their census survey can help other members of the South Asian community to be counted. “It is our job as those who have the knowledge, education, and resources to really educate those who we think may not know what this is, or maybe afraid of it,” she says.

In the end, it’s about creating awareness amongst those who may not know about it, be it a taxi driver or a worker in a grocery store. He may be able to influence a micro-community. She recalls the story of an advocate who went to visit his parents and met all their neighbors on their evening walk. They all said, ‘Oh, we filled out the census because we knew you’d be mad at us if we didn’t do it. And we told all our friends to fill it out too!’

Bagga emphasizes the urgency of reaching out to those who may not be aware of the importance of the census or of their own eligibility. “Explain how important it is, how $1.5 trillion of federal funds for schools, our hospitals, our roads and bridges, our subways come from the census. Explain that our political representation, including for those who are undocumented, is at stake. I think that’s the best way for our community to help itself.”

Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who blogs at Lassi with Lavina. Read her columns here.​

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Indian-American-led research team wins $100,000 NIH prize for phone-based saliva test

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A research team led by an Indian-American has won USD 100,000 prize for developing a quick, non-invasive, mobile phone-based system to detect infectious diseases, inflammation and nutritional deficiencies in saliva. The Cornell researchers’ team led by Saurabh Mehta was awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Technology Accelerator Challenge prize that encourages the development of new, non-invasive diagnostic technologies important for global health.

According to Mehta, technologies using salivary biomarkers could revolutionise how conditions such as malaria and iron deficiency are identified and addressed, especially in settings where access to primary health care and traditional, laboratory-based tests is limited. ”This concept provides noninvasive, rapid and accurate results anywhere in the world. A breakthrough in such mobile diagnostics could provide untold health benefits for vulnerable populations globally,” Mehta said.

For the group’s saliva-based test, a small 3D-printed adapter is clipped to a mobile phone and synced with a mobile app. The app uses the phone’s camera to image test strips to detect malaria, iron deficiency and inflammation, with results in under 15 minutes. The proposal builds on the FeverPhone and NutriPhone platforms developed by the team at Cornell’s Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Global Health and Technology (INSiGHT). The technologies, funded by the NIH and the National Science Foundation, evaluate infections and nutritional status using blood.

”These types of potentially world-changing innovations are only possible when you foster strong multidisciplinary research and a culture of innovation, such as we do here at Cornell,” said David Erickson, another team member. The team was led by Mehta, associate professor of global health, epidemiology and nutrition in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, in the College of Human Ecology (CHE), and the Department of Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).

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Elections 2020: India, US share strong interest in rules-based Indo-Pacific region, says Biden

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Asserting that India and the US share a strong interest in a rules-based Indo-Pacific region where no country including China threatens, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday said the two nations can undeniably shape the region for a much better future. ”The US and India share a strong interest in a rules-based Indo-Pacific region, where no country including China threatens its neighbours with impunity,” Biden said in his address to a virtual fundraiser for Indian Americans.

In his first-ever virtual fundraiser as a presidential candidate for Indian Americans that was attended by 268 people, Biden alleged that President Donald Trump is ceding space to China just when the country is looking to undercut its neighbours and the American leadership in the Pacific. ”We can undeniably shape the Indo-Pacific order for a much better, better future. We can get it right. This election is going to determine our future,” Biden said during the fundraiser in a conversation with Dr Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general.

Referring to his long-standing ties with India and the work that he has done over the past several decades, first as the US senator from Delaware and then as the country’s vice president, Biden said his administration is going to continue to value this relationship. ”It is not about photo ops or handshakes, it is about getting things done,” he said without elaborating any further.

Fifteen years ago, Biden told the Indian Americans that he was leading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a Republican, Senator Richard Lugar, and they approved the historic India-US civil nuclear deal. ”At the time, I said when India and the United States become closer friends, the world will be a much safer place. Seven years ago, as vice president, I told a business owner in Mumbai that the US-India partnership was the defining relationship in the 21st century,” he said.

”I am not just saying it now, I said it then and I mean it,” the former vice president said while asserting that he will continue to believe this as the president. ”I will work to make sure it occurs,” he said. Biden said he has long called for standing with Indians confronting terrorism in the region, strengthening India’s defence capabilities, expanding trade between the two countries and tackling global challenges like climate change and global health.

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US Elections 2020: Democrats release digital ads in 14 Indian languages to woo South Asian voters

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Democratic Party in the US has released digital graphics in 14 Indian languages to encourage South Asians to vote and support their presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden in the November 3 elections. Ajay Jain Bhutoria, Asian American Pacific Islander Leadership Council and National Finance Committee member of the Biden campaign, said: and the reach of our partners, we educate South Asian Americans about how to register, sign up for election reminders, request mail-in ballots, learn about early voting options and go Vote for Biden-Haaris.

’Chale Chalo Biden ko vote do’ (Let’s go vote for Biden) musical video was viral, superhit with the community and this new series of graphics Jaago America, Jaago, Bhul Na Jaana Biden-Haaris ko Vote Dena’ (Wake up America, wake up, don’t forget to vote for Biden-Harris) is a step forward in this series of outreach in 14 plus languages, he said. He said that people connect with music, food, language, and culture.

Bhutoria said there is huge enthusiasm in the Indian-American community to elect Biden as the next president and Kamala Harris as the first Indian-origin vice president. Earlier this year, California-based Bhutoria launched an outreach to the Indian community in 14 Indian Languages.

’America Ka Neta Kaisa Ho, Joe Biden Jaisa Ho’ (How should be America’s leader, just like Joe Biden). This was translated into 14 Indian languages and the graphics went viral on social media, he said. The Democratic Party, he said, has been working with various grassroot organisations to get Indo-Americans and the greater South Asian community registered to vote, phone bank, and text bank in 14 distinct South Asian languages.

The digital graphics in multiple languages are to inspire the South Asian voters, he added. US President Donald Trump, 74, is seeking re-election against Biden, 77, who scripted history by selecting Senator Kamala Harris, 55, as his running mate for November 3 presidential election.

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US Elections: Republican campaign video featuring PM Modi woos Indian-American voters

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A Republican campaign video that includes visuals from the two historic rallies of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last one year — ”Howdy, Modi!” and ”Namaste Trump” — is making waves in the US ahead of the November 3 Presidential election, particularly among Indian-Americans whose votes may be the deciding factor in some of the battleground states. Titled ”4 More Years”, the 107-second video starts with footage of Modi and Trump walking hand-in-hand at the NRG Stadium in Houston during the Indian prime minister’s visit to the US last year, amidst 50,000 cheering supporters.

In the background, Modi is heard saying, ”He needs no introduction. His name comes up in almost every conversation. The President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump.” The video then cuts to the two leaders, along with US First Lady Melania Trump, waving at a massive crowd in Ahmedabad during the Namaste Trump event in February this year. The video ends with Trump pledging American loyalty to India. ”America loves India. America respects India. America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people,” Trump is heard in the video.

Indian-American psychiatrist Dr Maya Puri said, ”When I first saw the ”4 More Years” video, it sent chills down my spine. I had a visceral reaction to it. I literally wanted to stand up and cheer. It brought tears to my eyes. The ”4 More Years” video was released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month.

”It (the video) really speaks to me emotionally as an Indian, as an American, as a Trump supporter, as a patriot, and just on a human level. It just packs a punch and hits you in the gut — in the best possible way of course! I don’t recall being so moved by a one-and-a-half-minute video ever before,” said Dr Puri. Republicans are excited about the video’s popularity, considering the effect it could have on some of the battleground states.

The swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are bastions to neither the Republicans nor the Democrats and a solidified base of Indian-American votes could be a deciding factor in the presidential election. President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be challenged by Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden and his Indian-American running mate Kamala Harris in the November presidential election. Other than being present on all major social networking sites and video-sharing platforms, the video has been shared by national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee 2020 Kimberly Guilfoyle and the president’s eldest son Donald J Trump Jr.

”The power of friendship between these two world leaders is truly awe-inspiring. It’s something that I would strongly recommend every Indian and non-Indian to watch for themselves to have that ’feel-good’ experience which I truly think is good for the soul,” said Dr Puri. Prem Parameswaran, global chief financial officer of Eros International PLC, said Trump loves India and the Indian community.

”He has done more for Indian-Americans than any other president in our history. He has forged a very special relationship with Prime Minister Modi and now we have the two largest democracies united. This is a terrific video and I fully support President Trump for another four years!” said Parameswaran, who is a member of President Donald J Trump’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Sridhar Chityala, a member of Indian Voices for Trump, said the video is impactful and captures the strong leadership of the two heads of state.

”It would rank with any classical theatrical production that is to be released with a teaser trailer. The video does full justice to the Trump-Modi partnership built on trust, respect, recognition,” Chityala said. A prominent Trump supporter, Al Mason, who conceptualised the video, said if Trump gets another four years at the White House it will massively boost the India-US partnership. Mason is co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee.

The ”4 More Years” video has been viewed more than 3,00,000 times on Twitter alone. It has been viewed several hundred thousand times more on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Indian-American Danny Gaikwad described the video’s popularity as ”hitting a home run in the Indian Diaspora.” With an aggressive China knocking on India’s doorstep, it is more than ever we need a very strong friend in the White House, like the president who will stand unequivocally for Modi and for India, said Dr Raj Bhayani.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow