Indian-American voters excited by Harris but see appeal of Trump

On a recent October evening on New York City’s Upper East Side, hundreds of influential Indian Americans ranging from Bollywood actors to tech CEOs, dressed in bedazzled outfits and heavy jewellery, mingled over cocktails to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights at the posh hotel The Pierre.

But while the invitation called for a Diwali celebration, the party was buzzing with excitement over the Indian American community’s latest political milestone: Kamala Harris becoming the first US presidential candidate of South Asian heritage to lead a major party ticket.

“This time around is so unique because we actually have someone we can relate to that hopefully has our best interests at heart,” Jessel Taank, the first Indian cast member in Bravo’s reality show, The Real Housewives of New York City, told the BBC at the All That Glitters Diwali Ball.

“You cannot be what you cannot see,” added Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who Code and the first Indian American woman to run for US Congress in 2010, pointing out that so many South Asian girls see themselves in Harris.

The challenge for Harris is to channel that enthusiasm among a booming immigrant population that’s moved beyond the traditional South Asian strongholds of California and New York to battleground states like Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Both Harris and her Republican challenger Donald Trump have stepped up efforts to court Indian Americans, the largest and most politically active group among Asian American voters, in a tight election where any demographic advantage could tip the outcome in their favour.

Harris became the first person of Indian descent, as well as the first woman and black person elected as vice-president in 2020. But the 2024 election – and her surprise candidacy – culminates in the transition of the Indian American community into a political force over the last decade.

Along with Harris, this presidential cycle has featured the rise of other Indian Americans including Usha Vance, the wife of Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance. During the Republican primary, voters came to know Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, who both challenged Trump for the nomination.