By Krishiv Shah
To many Indian-Americans, Kamala Harris’s name on the ballot meant that someone with similar cultural identity and heritage could be representing the United States. Having the first ever person of South Asian heritage as Vice President and now the Democratic candidate for President was inspiring for many South Asians.
For the celebration of Diwali on November 1, 2024, Vice President Harris said on social media, “In celebration of Diwali, we illuminated the Vice President’s Residence and remembered to see the light in our world, in each other, and in ourselves.”
Former President Trump further touched on major issues going on in the Indian subcontinent and condemned attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, vowing to strengthen relations with India, and his “good friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also noted that “Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus across the world and in America,” signifying that Trump may have a desire to work harder to ensure that Hindus and Indian Americans across the world and in America are given a stronger voice and more importance.
As of Nov 6, 2024, at 6:00 AM, Trump has officially won the 2024 US Presidential Election, surpassing 270 electoral college votes and winning in key swing states like Pennsylvania. This message has already reached India, where Prime Minister Modi has said, “Heartiest congratulations, my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory… as you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration” on X. This clearly shows their strong personal friendship and strong ties between both nations.
On the surface, it seems as though a majority of Indian Americans tend to lean Democrat and voted for Kamala Harris, which may be true. But young Indian-American men seem to have more of a preference for Trump rather than Harris. Across all age groups, only 22% of Indian-American women indicated they would vote for Trump, contrasting with 39% of men who reported their intent to support him. This gender gap in political affiliation is also evident on social media platforms, such as X, where Indian-American men’s support for Trump is notably visible, according to India Today.
As an Indian-American youth witnessing the 2024 Election, there is a wide split and it is somewhat disheartening. Kamala Harris’ South Asian representation and strong Diwali messages resonated with many Indian-American youth, but many times, that just is not enough to secure the ballot. I recognize that Trump’s promises of strengthening ties with the Hindu and Indian-American communities are also extremely powerful, and although they were not the deciding factors of the election, they are still important to take into consideration. It is a complicated split, but as I see more and more Indian-American youth voting, taking part in democracy, and standing up for what they believe in, I do not doubt that our futures will be bright and one day we will have an Indian-American as President, one that shares our values and can advocate strongly for not just our community, but all communities.
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Krishiv Shah, the founder and submission coordinator of Kaleidoscope, is an Indian-American senior at Syosset High School with aspirations to pursue a degree in South Asian Studies and Business.
