APD | People of Indian origin important voters in US elections

By APD writer Alice

Over the past decade, Indian-Americans have been seen as an a demographic of growing influence by Democrats and Republicans in the US. Although they make up only 1% of all voters, they form the second largest immigrant group in the country (after those of Mexican descent).

The Indian-American community has also beengrowing rapidly. According to the US census, between 2000 and 2018, the Indian-American population increased by nearly 150%. This community is also the highest-earning ethnic group in the US, with an average income of $100,000 in 2015, nearly twice the national average that year.

As a result, Indian-Americans are the donor for both parties, contributing nearly $10 million to the Democratic candidate in the run to the White House in the 2016 elections.

In the 2020 elections, both President Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden's campaigns have focused on air television advertisements targetingvoters of Indian origin. Their competing ads in Hindi and other regional dialects are running amid Bollywood movies and Indian TV shows on popular Indian TV networks in the US such as TVAsia and Sony Entertainment TV.

Biden selected Kamala Devi Harris, a California senator whose mother is India as his running mate. Thanks to this, his campaign has garnered tremendous support from the Indian-American community. Harris has always been proud of having Indian roots, thus attracting funding from Indian-Americans. At a fundraising event in September, the Biden Victory Fund raised a record $3.3 million from this community.

Some people are worried that a lage number of Indian-Americans are turning to back Trump when they see good relations between the US President and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A recent YouGov survey found that 72% of registered Indian-American voters supported Biden. Previously, 77% backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and 84% supported Barack Obama in 2012. The survey also showed that the number of Indian-Americans who supported Trump increased to 22% from 16% in 2016. The majority of people of Indian origin continue to back the Democratic candidate, but it seems the Republican party is gaining some success in luring support from Indian-American voters.

As the 2016 election showed, even a small change makes a big impact. The thing which is more important than the Indian-American community’s influence is that there are high numbers of voters in key swing states. Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania all have the Indian-American communities. In a race with a narrow margin of victory, even small support can make a win.

Although the majority of Indian-Americans may still lean Democratic in domestic matters, the "Modi factor" remains important. Many in this community continue to support Prime Minister Modi. When Modi visited Houston in the US, he was greeted by 50,000 supported, including President Trump.

President Trump and his Republican Party have gained increasing support thanks to the bond between Indian-American voters and their support for India. This is sometimes difficult for Democrats to do because they often criticize Modi's human rights issues.

Hence, both parties are betting big on the Indian-American community. Biden's campaign is drawing on the power of the famous persons of Indian descent. In early October, they held a virtual party with celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Lilly Singh and Kumail Nanjiani in an effort to reach young Indian-American voters.

Similarly, Trump's campaign recently launched "Indian Voices for Trump", an alliance of Indian-Americans in the government and the private sector led by his son Donald Trump Jr., whose mission is honoring the comprehensive global strategic partnership with India and building on the US-India partnership.

In this year's elections, both parties continue to vie for support from this group of voters in key states. As the Indian-Americans have become increasingly active in politics and donated more to candidates, it is difficult to ignore the presence of the group in the US. Both Democrats and Republicans recognize the importance of this community, and therefore they are the focus of the campaigns.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)