By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
A Republican takeover of Congress will likely result in stronger U.S.-India ties.
On Tuesday night, the United States held general elections, with the entire House of Representatives up for grabs as well as a third of the Senate’s seats and several state positions. The Republican Party won control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Here’s what the U.S. elections mean for India and Indians.
On the domestic level in the United States, the South Asian community is dominated by Indian-Americans. Indian-Americans tend to overwhelmingly support Democrats, even though their profile as a high-earning, family-oriented group would make them seem like a natural Republican constituency. According to Sadanand Dhume, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), this may be because most Indian-Americans settle in blue states such as New York and California, which “colors their perspective.” Others have “bought into a toxic culture of victimhood, despite the obvious fact that the overwhelming majority of Indian immigration came after the United States experienced the great civil rights victories of the 1960s.” However, the real explanation seems to be that most Indian-American grievances with the Republican party revolve around their perception of the party as overtly Christian and white, a fact that makes them feel unwelcome in the party. Indian-Americans would prefer a model of religious pluralism. Many Indian-Americans also believe that the party is opposed to immigration and immigrants, including those from India.
While some of the Indian-American community’s perceptions of the Republican Party are true, not all of them are. An individual candidate’s positions may be good or bad for Indian-Americans, regardless of his or her party affiliation. Republicans have a better track record of electing high-ranking Indian-Americans. The United States’ two most prominent Indian-American politicians are both Republican governors: Nikki Haley of South Carolina, who won reelection yesterday, and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. Both individuals have been criticized by some for dissociating themselves from their Indian roots in order to succeed politically in southern states (for example, both converted to Christianity). Nonetheless, they have maintained links with the Indian community and supported Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent trip to the United States. However, it should still be noted that the only prominent Hindu politician in the U.S. is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii (who also won reelection yesterday).
Read the full story at The Diplomat