“For me, race does not matter,” said 36-year-old Ankit Patel. “It doesn’t matter which background or race you come from. The important thing is you have to stand for your citizens.”
Kamala Harris is an American of Indian-Jamaican descent, and her vice presidency garnered exciting headlines in India. But some Indian Americans, like Patel, are cautious of the hype around her identity in this presidential election.
“Economy, not racial representation, should matter in this election,” said Patel, a member of the South Asian American community in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Patel is among 192,392 foreign-born citizens that belong to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Pennsylvania. But the two men said they care little about the role of race in this election.
AAPI voter eligibility in Pennsylvania grew by 32.1% between 2012 and 2022. The Asian Indian population of 166,355 is currently the largest Asian American ethnic group in Pennsylvania, an increase from 153,341 in 2022.
At the polling station in Scranton High School, the Indian community showed overwhelming support for Trump. For Varsha Murthy, a medical student at Commonwealth Health in Scranton, said abortion rights were a very important factor in her decision-making. But she doesn’t agree with Harris’ foreign policy.
“I am choosing the lesser of the two evils,” she added.
Gautam Patel, an IT employee, said he was clear about his choice to vote Democrat and agreed with Harris’ economic policies. On illegal immigration, he said, “It happens everywhere, but these people come to the U.S. for a better future and for their children.”
In Scranton and other areas of Lackawanna County, PA, there are about 5,000 residents of Indian heritage, The Times Tribune reported. Alpesh Patel, is the president of the Indo-American Community of Scranton, a non-profit organization that started in 2018. Alpesh has been advocating for the Indian community to vote in elections, regardless of their choice of candidate. Through WhatsApp messages and community gatherings, the nonprofit sends information on the different ways to vote, like early voting and mail-in ballots.
Raju Bhai Patel, who got his Green Card in 2018, said he doesn’t vote in U.S. elections. But the presence of a Hindu temple in the area gives him a sense of community.
“This [voting] is not a selfish thing; it is important to have an influence.”
(Photo credit: Rajeev Tyagi)