USA (Commonwealth Union)_ With fifteen new candidates rising to power in nine states, the South Asian Americans representation in the United States is rising continuously. In the midterm elections held in 2022, Indian American candidates achieved 15 historic firsts in nine states, and a record number of 28 South Asian candidates endorsed by Indian American Impact, a prominent community group, were elected. According to the year-end report, “Overall, we increased South Asian American representation in 9 states across the country and added a total of 15 new voices to help represent our community on all levels of government”.
The following list includes the historic first candidates.
- Aruna Miller won the elections to become the first woman of color to serve as Lieutenant Governor in Maryland and the first South Asian American woman to serve as LG in the history of the United States.
- With his election from Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, Shri Thanedar became the first Indian American to represent Michigan in Congress.
- Dr. Arvind Venkat and Tarik Khan became the first South Asian American candidates of the Pennsylvania State House when they won State House districts 30 and 194, respectively.
- Nabilah Islam is the first South Asian American woman to be elected from District 7 to the Georgia State Legislature.
- Farooq Mughal was elected to the Georgia State House from District 105 as the first South Asian American.
- Dr. Suleman Lalani and Salman Bhojani were the first South Asian Americans to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, representing Districts 76 and 92, respectively.
- Kevin Olickal and Nabeela Syed were elected as the first South Asian American members of the Illinois House of Representatives from District 16 and 51, respectively.
According to Indian American Impact, 300 volunteers were employed to assist Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiatives in Philadelphia and Georgia. South Asian Women Get Out the Vote was a two-day event held in Philadelphia and co-hosted by Meena Harris, founder of Phenomenal Media, and Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef host. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, local volunteers, and fifty South Asian celebrity influencers from throughout the nation served as canvassers. The collective effort of the Indian American team knocked on more than 3,000 doors throughout Philadelphia communities.
According to the report, in Georgia, for the December 6 runoff race, it collaborated with Asian American Advocacy Fund to Get Out the Vote for Rev. Warnock, including Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi, which resulted in record-breaking voter turnout and his historic reelection. Additionally, the Indian American Impact Project recruited over 700 “WhatsTrue Crew!” volunteers in 2022 to combat the spread of misinformation. The organization’s authors, content creators, and organizers collaborated to develop desifacts.org, the first website of its type dedicated to combating political falsehoods on WhatsApp. Impact also played a vital part in bringing attention to the backlog of green card applications, documented dreamers, voting rights, and heart health.
The group was a major collaborator in the passage of Jayapal’s South Asian Heart Health bill in the US House, and it sent ten documented dreamers (children of long-term visa holders) to DC to participate in a day of advocacy and a special briefing with the White House. According to the report, the 2022 Impact Project Summit: Dream with Ambition Program, held in Washington DC, in May that involved US Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Ami Bera gathered 400 participants with committees led by influential South Asian and Indian American politicians, organizers, and business leaders throughout the nation.
The report further added that the Summit is Impact’s largest annual event that plays a crucial role in educating the participants about policy and advocacy, human rights issues, and voter mobilization. Neil Makhija, Executive Director at Indian American Impact, expressed his gratitude to the organization. He said, “Thanks to the support of Indian American Impact’s generous individual donors, impact was able to not only fund its voter mobilization efforts and create new programming, but was also able to marshal meaningful support for five US Senators, five US Representatives, and three governors”. He added, “Our work does not end here. We will continue to build our power next year and into 2024 to ensure our voices remain heard and represented at every level of government.”
