Washington, DC: Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar said on Tuesday that America’s roughly 5 million strong Indian origin community does not hold the political weight it should.
“I will be candid with you. Our Indian American community is far from growing political muscle. We still don’t have the kind of political power we deserve,” Thanedar said at an event hosted here in Washington by an Indian community group. Thanedar has served in the House of Representatives, America’s lower house, since 2023 when he was elected to represent Michigan’s 13th congressional district.
“The focus has always been to get an education, get a good job, start a business, buy a home, raise your children. There’s a lot that you want to do. But one thing that we don’t focus on is wanting to be part of mainstream America, and we can only be part of mainstream America if we have political power in this country,” Thanedar added.
Currently, six Indian-Americans serve in the United States House of Representatives representing districts in California, Michigan, Illinois and Virginia states. While no Indian-origin politician currently sits in the Senate, America’s upper house, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has announced his entry into the race to elect the next Senator from Illinois. The election will be held in 2026.
