US presidential election energizes fast-growing Indian-American community

The meteoric rise of US Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic Party presidential nomination has energized many Indian Americans, raising the political profile of the fast-growing community and sparking widespread enthusiasm.

Harris, of Indian and Jamaican descent, appears poised to become the first black female presidential candidate after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday. But the fervor isn’t just about his nomination.

Many Indian-Americans, regardless of their political leanings, are similarly electrified to see other notable figures of Indian descent in the national spotlight: Usha Vance, the wife of Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, as well as former presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“I’m so proud that Indian Americans are winning across the board,” said Shaker Narasimhan, president and founder of AAPI Victory Fund, a super PAC focused on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islander voters and supporting Democratic candidates.

Narasimhan recalled being on a call with about 130 people when news broke that Biden had dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris.

“Everything lit up, literally — the chats, the DMs, the phones,” Narasimhan said. “But it was all with excitement, not awe, like, ‘Wow.’ It was like, ‘Oh my God, come on,’ this is the opportunity of a lifetime, as far as I’m concerned, for us to flex our muscles.”

The enthusiasm spans the political spectrum. Priti Pandya-Patel, co-founder of the New Jersey Republican Party’s South Asian Coalition, said the community is excited about the possibility of Usha Vance becoming the country’s first Indian-American second lady.

“I think it’s a proud moment to see our community really being out there and being noticed,” Pandya-Patel said. “I think that’s definitely getting our Indian community really excited.”

Five million in the USA

Indian Americans are one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities, growing more than tenfold since the early 1990s.

Today, there are approximately 5 million people of Indian descent living in the United States, making them the largest Asian ethnic group and the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans.

While Indian Americans vote Democratic more than any other Asian group, about 20% identify as Republican.

The Indian-American community has traditionally been perceived as less politically active than other ethnic groups. However, there are signs of increasing political participation within the community.

A recent survey of Asian Americans, including those of Indian descent, found that 90% intended to vote in the November election, although 42% had not been contacted by any party or candidate.

The Asian American Voter Survey, of nearly 2,500 voters, was conducted between April 4 and May 26 by several Asian American groups.

“That suggests a potential gap in turnout,” said Suhag Shukla, co-founder and executive director of the Hindu American Coalition, a nonpartisan organization.

Shukla said the election presents a “tremendous opportunity” for the Indian-American community as well as for both major political parties.

“I think Indian-Americans need to recognize their power, especially since many of us live in purple states or districts,” Shukla said in an interview with the VOAreferring to the battleground states in the US presidential election. “On the other hand, I think it’s a real opportunity for the parties to not just do a check mark or a checkbox-type disclosure, but genuine disclosure. Have town halls. Have listening sessions.”

Spokespeople for the Harris and Trump campaigns did not respond to questions about their outreach efforts.

Both campaigns mobilize voters through grassroots organizations.

Deepa Sharma, deputy South Asian director for Harris and a delegate to next month’s Democratic National Convention, said her group is “working closely with people on the ground who will be knocking on doors, making phone calls and reaching out to this community.”

Indian Americans make up less than 1% of registered voters in the United States, according to a 2020 study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. But nearly a third live in hotly contested states like Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

That puts them in a position to influence the outcome of the November election, said Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact, a progressive group.

“The South Asian American population far exceeds the margin of victory in the closest elections in these states,” Patel said.

Voter turnout is steadily increasing

In 2020, the Biden-Harris ticket won more than 70% of the Indian-American vote, according to Patel, adding that Harris’ support is likely to increase this year.

“She has attracted considerable support from the South Asian American community because she has consistently stood up and fought for our values, fought for our issues,” Patel said.

Earlier this year, Harris spoke at Indian American Impact’s “Desis Decide” summit, where she credited Indian Americans and Asian Americans for helping get two Democratic senators elected in 2020 and 2021.

Patel said voter turnout among South Asian Americans has been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2020, for example, more than 70% of registered South Asian American voters turned out to vote in Pennsylvania, she said.

“I think they will be critical to achieving victory in the White House this November,” Patel said.

Similar predictions from groups like American Muslims have sometimes failed to materialize.

But Narasimhan said turnout could be boosted with the right voter mobilisation strategy, adding that voter education is key.

“Just because you’re a citizen doesn’t mean you can vote, you have to register,” Narasimhan said. “Teaching people the basics of what early voting is, what absentee voting is, what going to the polls is, navigating the system is critical, and we need to do that basic education.”

On the Republican side, activists are betting that Trump’s close ties to India’s nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, will translate into votes for the former president.

“Trump has been friendly to India and that makes a big difference,” said Pandya-Patel, the Republican activist in New Jersey.

It is unclear whether Indian-American support for Trump is increasing.

In the recent Asian American Voter Survey, 29% of Indian Americans said they intended to vote for Trump, virtually unchanged from four years ago.

Trump has called Modi a “true friend.” In 2019, he and Modi addressed a joint rally in Houston, Texas, that drew more than 50,000 people, many of them supporters of the Indian prime minister. At the “Hello, Modi!” rally, Trump called Modi “one of America’s greatest, most devoted, most loyal friends.”

Pandya-Patel said the rally boosted support among Indian-Americans for Trump, whose friendship with Modi, she added, is a key reason why many Indian-Americans back him.

Shukla of the Hindu American Coalition said there is a perception among some Indian Americans that the Democratic Party is not “a Hindu-friendly party.”

That could partly explain a recent “shift” in Indian-American party affiliation, he said.

In the Asian American Voter Survey, the number of Indians who identify as Democrats fell from 54% in 2020 to 47% in 2024, while those who identify with the Republican Party rose from 16% to 21%.

Anang Mittal, a Virginia-based commentator who previously worked for House Speaker Mike Johnson, said the apparent shift reflects less a “sea change” than a change in political attitudes.

“I think the country as a whole is shifting toward Republicans because of the larger issues that are plaguing this election,” Mittal said.

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