Former Ambassador Haley Runs for Entrepreneur Ramaswamy Republican Party
High level of education and low entry barriers due to English language advantage
The New York Times (NYT) and others reported on the 28th of last month that Indians are actively advancing into US politics, with two Indians challenging the US opposition Republican Party’s primary for the presidential nomination. Former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, but it is the first time that more than two Indians have run for president.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (51), who threw the ballot on the 14th of last month, had Sikh parents from Punjab in northern India. Although she converted to Christianity after marrying her white husband, she emphasizes her Indian identity by taking her husband to attend Sikh events.
Entrepreneur Vivek Lamaswamy (38), who announced his candidacy on the 21st of the same month, is a Hindu from the southern state of Kerala. After majoring in biology at Harvard University and graduating from Yale University Law School, he became a millionaire by founding the bio company ‘Roivant Science’.
As of 2019, there are about 4.6 million Indian Americans. In the 2020 presidential election, there is a strong propensity to support the Democratic Party, with 74% voting for President Joe Biden. The mother of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Indian vice president and female vice president, also came from the southern state of Tamil Nadu. There are also five Indian-American members of the Bundestag.
Indians have a high level of education and have the advantage of using English as a legacy of British colonial rule, so they are evaluated as having low barriers to political participation. India has recently overtaken China to become the world’s most populous country, as well as growing its influence in the international community based on its rapid economic growth.
In the US business world, the breakthrough of Indians is more prominent. All of the CEOs of large corporations representing ‘Co., Ltd. America’, such as Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Starbucks, are of Indian descent. Across the sea, in October last year, Rishi Sunak, a Hindu, became the first non-white British Prime Minister.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.