Haley and Ramaswamy show the rising political power of Indian Americans even as they feud in debates
FILE - Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, left, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speak during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. Ramaswamy and Haley, two of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, are Indian Americans, even though polling points to an Indian diaspora that overwhelmingly votes Democrat. The two candidates are running significantly behind former President Donald Trump and also trail Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but they无毛视频檙e outpacing others in the field.
FILE - White House hopeful Nikki Haley speaks during a presidential campaign stop at the South Carolina State House, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, two of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, are Indian Americans, even though polling points to an Indian diaspora that overwhelmingly votes Democrat. The two candidates are running significantly behind former President Donald Trump and also trail Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but they无毛视频檙e outpacing others in the field.
FILE - Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, two of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, are Indian Americans, even though polling points to an Indian diaspora that overwhelmingly votes Democrat. The two candidates are running significantly behind former President Donald Trump and also trail Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but they无毛视频檙e outpacing others in the field.
The tension between Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy was hard to miss when they last met on a debate stage.
无毛视频淓very time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,无毛视频� Haley told Ramaswamy.
Responding to the broadside, Ramaswamy argued 无毛视频渨e will be better served as a Republican Party if we无毛视频檙e not sitting here hurling personal insults.无毛视频� He later told reporters he would 无毛视频渦se smaller words next time to make it easier无毛视频� for Haley.
The two are poised to meet again on Wednesday for the third presidential debate, one of their final chances to make a case in front of a large audience before voting begins in the GOP primary next year. Though they are polling far behind former President Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 nomination, Haley and Ramaswamy represent the growing political influence of Americans of Indian descent and are a reminder of the nuanced views within the Indian diaspora.
无毛视频淚t is a growing, heterogeneous community,无毛视频� said Milan Vaishnav, the director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who co-wrote a study about how Indian Americans vote.
Haley and Ramaswamy exemplify the diversity of views among Indian Americans.
A former South Carolina governor and later U.N. ambassador for Trump, Haley generally aligns with the party无毛视频檚 traditional establishment, particularly when it comes to foreign policy. The 51-year-old has called for continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia and has portrayed the 38-year-old Ramaswamy as untested in world affairs. A biotech entrepreneur, Ramaswamy has pilloried the GOP无毛视频檚 establishment wing and questioned the need for continuing to back Ukraine.
They both are out of sync with the broader community of Indian Americans, who overwhelmingly support Democrats. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 68% of Indian American registered voters identified as Democrats and 29% identified as Republicans.
无毛视频淲hat we are seeing with the Republican field is not representative of where the Indian American population is as a whole,无毛视频� Vaishnav said.
Republicans may not be on the verge of winning over the Indian diaspora in America. But even marginal gains could be notable in closely contested states.
There are segments of the diaspora that still support, fund and engage in advocacy related to Indian politics. But for most Indian Americans, issues stateside matter more, said Maina Chawla Singh, a scholar-in-residence at American University无毛视频檚 School of International Service.
无毛视频淭he political positions for Indian Americans will be shaped by what matters within the U.S. context 无毛视频� whether it is reproductive freedom, anti-immigrant policies, recession or hate crimes,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭hat is what ultimately swings it for them because it is their future.无毛视频�
Sangay Mishra, a political science professor at Drew University in New Jersey, said he believes Indian Americans now are well placed to produce conservative thinkers and political aspirants because they can easily get behind ideas such as a free market, low taxes and the meritocracy.
无毛视频淚f we say 3 out of 10 Indian Americans are Republicans, we can conclude that these candidates are not aberrations, but they also do not represent the dominant thinking in the community,无毛视频� he said.
Indian Americans have now 无毛视频渟ettled in and become a part of the U.S. society无毛视频� compared with where they were between the 1960s and the 1980s when the first wave arrived, Mishra said.
He said Trump无毛视频檚 election in 2016 also motivated more progressive Indian Americans to get involved in local city council and school district races.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e seen examples of people who felt like they needed to challenge that environment where populations such as immigrants, women and Muslims were being marginalized.无毛视频� The election in 2008 of Barack Obama as America无毛视频檚 first Black president and Kamala Harris, whose is half Indian American, as vice president in 2020, also played a role, he said.
While Mishra and other researchers see no potential shift in party allegiance among younger voters, 26-year-old Rohan Pakianathan, a graduate student of public policy at Rutgers University, says he can envision himself working in a conservative think tank someday. Pakianathan is supporting Ramaswamy.
无毛视频淚 identify with Vivek because I think that无毛视频檚 what the future of politics and the future of the Republican Party should be,无毛视频� he said.
Like Ramaswamy, Pakianathan无毛视频檚 parents emigrated to the United States from southern India. Even though his parents are Democrats and progressive, they respect Ramaswamy无毛视频檚 candidacy, he said.
Pakianathan, who is Christian, says Ramaswamy无毛视频檚 Hindu faith is not an issue for him because he views America as a Christian country that was founded on Judeo-Christian values.
Pakianathan said he sometimes feels alone in his own community, with his sister and most of his friends leaning Democrat, but he has never had a problem engaging in civil debates.
无毛视频淓ventually, I无毛视频檇 like to see America have a candidate whom both parties can acknowledge and respect,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 hope we can get to a place where it doesn无毛视频檛 have to be one side against another.无毛视频�
Henry Olsen, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, said the candidacy of Indian American candidates is an extension of a 无毛视频渞eal openness无毛视频� the Republican Party has shown to people of color.
无毛视频淭here is no barrier to the rise of talent when talent shows itself,无毛视频� he said.
Regardless of these candidates无毛视频� prospects, the Republican Party does have an urgent need to 无毛视频渄o well with people of color无毛视频� because their share of America无毛视频檚 electorate will continue to rise, Olsen said.
He added that the GOP might also have to position itself as 无毛视频渓ess observably and doctrinally the Christian party无毛视频� in order to appeal to large swaths in diaspora communities that are not Christian, as well to those who are unaffiliated with any organized religion.
无毛视频淚f you tell people they are not welcome, they will most likely not knock on the door,无毛视频� he said.
Associated Press writer Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP无毛视频檚 collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
[gallery_header ids=无毛视频�861402,861411,861419无毛视频砞