InfoAnda - Record number of Indian candidates seeking office

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Efforts to oust Japan's PM falter | 17 July 2009
Two wounded after gunmen attack tourist bus in Delhi | | 19 September 2010
Parachuting donkey shocks Russian beachgoers | 20 July 2010

Forensic experts unearth 60 Bosnian war victims | International | | 26 August 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Record number of Indian candidates seeking office

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Record number of Indian candidates seeking office By JESSE WASHINGTON,AP National Writer - Saturday, June 19 Send IM Story Print Meet Reshma, Surya, Manan, Raj, Ami, Ravi, Nimrata and Kamala _ a new wave of Indian-American politicians. At least eight children of Indian immigrants are running for Congress or statewide office, the most ever. The star of this trend is Nikki Haley, born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa, who is favored to win the election for governor of South Carolina. Indian heritage is where Haley's similarity with the other candidates seems to end. She is the only Republican, the only one who has been widely mistaken for a white woman, the only one who has been accused of abandoning her heritage for converting from the Sikh faith to Christianity. Yet when Haley's motives are questioned and some suggest Indians must become less "foreign" to get elected, many of these new candidates are quick to ask: Who are we to judge the mashup of American ambition with an ancient culture? Manan Trivedi, a doctor and Iraq war veteran who recently won a Democratic primary for Congress in eastern Pennsylvania, said he did not view his ethnicity as a handicap: "The American electorate is smarter than that." He called criticism of Haley's name and religion unfounded. "Nikki Haley and (Republican Louisiana Gov.) Bobby Jindal are on the wrong side, but they worked their butts off, they had the bonafides to get the votes, and I think it had so much more to do with their work ethic than the fact that they may have changed their names and adopted a different religion." Jindal was elected the nation's first Indian governor in 2007, at age 36. Named Piyush at birth, he told his Hindu parents when he was 4 that he wanted to be called Bobby, like the "Brady Bunch" boy. He converted to Catholicism as a teenager. As Jindal's star rose, the meaning of his assimilation drew much scrutiny. Many people outside South Carolina only learned Haley is Indian after a fellow South Carolina lawmaker used a racial epithet to describe her. Now her choice of names, marriage to a white man and Methodist conversion is raising similar questions. Christianity is a more critical issue for white Republicans than other groups _ could a Hindu who worships multiple gods, or a turbaned Sikh who doesn't cut his hair, survive a statewide Republican primary in the Bible Belt? Vidya Pradhan, editor of India Currents magazine, thinks not. Haley and Jindal "were really ambitious about their politics, and they could not do it being Hindu or their old religion," Pradhan said. "I do think it was a political move. They felt that not being a Christian would hurt them." Haley and Jindal declined to be interviewed for this story. But J. Ashwin Madia, a Minnesota Democrat who lost a congressional election in 2008 and is a follower of the Jain religion, says their faith is irrelevant. "They can choose to be called what they want to be called, they can worship what they want to worship," said Madia, a board member of the Indian American Leadership Initiative, which supports Democratic candidates. "I don't think being Indian-American is this thing they need to strive for or meet some sort of purity test. They are finding the right balance for themselves." Madia stopped using his first name, Jigar, when he joined the Marines about age 22. "I'm not running from something or ashamed of it. I'm proud of my name and where I come from. But I was constantly explaining it or hearing it mangled." Barack Hussein Obama, known as Barry in his younger days, proved that an unusual name was not an insurmountable political barrier. Some Indian politicians seem to be following his blueprint as they embrace their Indian names while describing their faith in voters' lack of bias. "This campaign is all about vision and values and policies," said Raj Goyle, who is battling for the Democratic congressional nomination in his hometown of Wichita, Kan. "I don't spend time thinking about differences, I think about ways that Kansans can come together." Goyle worships at an Indian temple. His first name is Rajeev, but he has gone by Raj since childhood. In 2006, he became the first Indian-American elected to the Kansas Legislature and the first Democrat to hold his statehouse district. He said he doesn't worry about appearing more American or more Indian. "I am who I am, I'm proud of my background and what I've accomplished and my family. Kansas voters absolutely will choose the best candidate based on the merits." Indians began immigrating to the United States in large numbers about 50 years ago, but just two have been elected to Congress: Dalip Singh Saund in 1954 and Jindal, who entered Congress in 2004 and became governor midway through his second term. In 2008, Madia says he was the only major Indian-American candidate for Congress. Today there are six, including Goyle and Trivedi. Ami Bera in California, Ravi Sangisetty in Louisiana and Reshma Saujani in New York face upcoming primaries, and Surya Yalamanchili won a primary in Ohio. In California, Kamala Harris, the child of an Indian mother and black father, won the Democratic nomination for state attorney general and is favored to win the election this fall. Harris was raised in a black neighborhood, attended black churches and graduated from historically black Howard University. She also worshipped in her mother's Hindu temple and has made many visits to her family in India. "Running for office, you have to simplify or condense or put into pre-existing boxes who you are," Harris said, "so people will have a sense of you based on what they easily and quickly identify." "I grew up in a family where I had a strong sense of my culture and who I am, and I never felt insecure about that at all," she said. "Slowly, perhaps, with each of us taking on more prominent positions, people will start to understand the diversity of the people." ___ Jesse Washington covers race and ethnicity for The Associated Press. He is reachable at jwashington(at)ap.org. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Kyrgyzstan vows probe into ethnic violence AFP - 14 minutes ago BP shuts down oil-collecting vessel as vent blocks AFP - 19 minutes ago Kurdish rebels kill 10 Turkish soldiers near Iraq AFP - 25 minutes ago Suspected Qaeda attack in Yemen kills 11 AFP - 1 hour 39 minutes ago UN alarmed over escalating violence in Afghanistan AFP - 2 hours 53 minutes ago News Search Top Stories EU chief Barroso says euro is strong Sweden's future queen to wed former personal trainer Caracas asks Interpol to arrest anti-Chavez media mogul Battered BP boss relinquishes duties on US oil spill Nobel-winning novelist Saramago dead at 87 More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Aussie man jailed for blowing bubble in court Sweden's future queen to wed former personal trainer Battered BP boss relinquishes duties on US oil spill Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart tie knot: report S.Africa on hooligan watch ahead of England match More Most Viewed » The point about pain: New study sheds light on acupuncture Clashes as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid boat: Hamas TV Egypt unearths tomb of pharaonic army chief Physicists solve mystery of missing neutrinos More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Saturday, 19 June 2010
3 Americans, 1 Brit killed in southern Afghanistan
Rescuers search for missing from floods in southern France
Mexican wrestling muscles into US videogame arena
Spanish judge says he should be acquitted
2 Americans, 1 Brit killed in southern Afghanistan
I killed, cut off heads says repentant Mexico hitman |
IMF chief backs embattled Spanish government
One in four US adults, teens have texted while driving: Pew
Nobel-winning novelist Saramago dead at 87
2 Americans killed in southern Afghanistan
Iceland safe haven for press freedom: Wikileaks insider
Second strike hits China Toyota supplier |
Russia serious about change, Medvedev tells West
Sia Writing Songs For Britney Spears
Senate Tries to Break Deadlock on Emergency Unemployment Benefits
Court says search of policeman's pager not privacy violation
Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum Share "The Vow"
Colombia rescuers fight to reach miners after blast |
Time to wake up to cyber threat: experts
Denmark's beached whale 'has no chance of survival'
Texas Woman Charged With Assault After Boyfriend Shot n Face
FCC Wants To Tighten Broadband Rules
Nigerian village rues the day the oil men came |
Apple Asks FCC To Guard iPhone Secrets
Kosovo terror suspect wanted in U.S. released |
35,000 Cases Of SpaghettiOs Recalled Over Processing Fears
Indian Lawmakers Get Verbal Assurances From Clinton On Pakistan
Walgreens, CVS Reach Network Pharmacy Deal
Massachusetts Father Arraigned In Murder Of Family
Verbeek hits back as Socceroos face crunch
Five communist rebels slain in Philippines: police
S.Korea must respond sternly to N.Korea attacks: army chief
Japan growth plan bets on green-tech, health, tourism
Hong Kong leader concedes defeat in reform debate
Thai government hints at extending emergency rule
Another Toyota strike shuts major plant in China
China plans Xinjiang crackdown for riot anniversary
Nearly 70 dead as China floods continue
Gold price hits record above $1,258 an ounce
Dutch Layar signs global augmented reality deals |
Madrid's Prado to stage Turner exhibition
In Italy, love it, hate it, gotta have a vuvuzela
Beatles manuscript nabs 1.2 million dollars at auction
Jewel in the croon: Music is key to love, say scientists
Ingres, Ellsworth Kelly face-to-face at Rome expo
History sewn up in buttons
Human Heads Found At Arkansas Airport
Lesbians get real on TV's Real L Word |
Vocal problems force Simon & Garfunkel tour cancellation |
Tilda Swinton finds life colliding with fantasy |
Moscow film festival bids to boost Russian cinema |
British dandy, author Horsley dies: report |
Militants kill NATO soldier in Afghanistan: alliance
Sweden's future queen to wed former personal trainer
Apple shares hit all-time high of 275 dollars
Deposed Kyrgyz leader blamed over ethnic violence |
Afghan informers play dangerous game in Taliban heartland
Sarkozy rival to launch new French political party
Caracas asks Interpol to arrest anti-Chavez media mogul
U.S. missile strike kills 12 in NW Pakistan |
UN chief: Security in Afghanistan has not improved
5 NATO troops including 3 US killed in Afghanistan
Toyota shuts China plant after more strikes reported |
U.S. Stocks Inch Higher Friday, Gain On The Week
5 NATO troops including 1 US killed in Afghanistan
Gunmen attack police building in south Yemen |
Over 100 dead or missing after heavy China rains |
Obama renews call for release of Myanmar's Suu Kyi |
Mexican police find 12 bodies in Cancun |
One million caught up in Kyrgyz violence, U.N. says |
Quake off India's Andaman islands |
Odds against Wales but All Blacks wary
Calif. university will allow media at Palin event
US drone strike kills three in Pakistan: officials
Minimum and maximum temperatures in Celsius
Karzai visits Hiroshima to pray for atomic bomb victims
Probe into top China official linked to J&J: report
Vietnam steps up car horn patrols: media
Moderate quake hits India's Andaman Islands
Dalai Lama criticises anti-whaling protesters
China's vice president to visit Australia amid tax spat
China minister shrugs off labour unrest concerns
More than 1 mln evacuated in China over flood threat
G20 summit to debate China's currency policy: Canada
Suu Kyi marks 65th birthday under house arrest
Famous Polaroid photo collection goes under hammer
Oliver Stone's 'South of the Border' highlights festival
John Lennon handwritten lyrics sell for $1.2 million |
Michael Jackson concert promoters pay up as anniversary nears |
Cyrus steps out of tween idolhood toward Liberty |
Cyndi Lauper realizes longtime dream with Blues |
Rapper Chuck D takes aim at Arizona in new track |
REVIEWS: The-Dream, Stone Temple Pilots, Sergio Mendes |
Nobel-winning Portuguese author Saramago dies at 87 |
Philadelphia jazz singer finds warm welcome overseas |
Twenty-two dead as Turkish troops clash with PKK |
EU chief Barroso says euro is strong
Fewer Afghan civilians hurt: NATO |
Al Qaeda network severely degraded: U.S. envoy |
Egypt says will not alter Palestinian unity pact |
Iran denies U.S. assertion its missiles menace Europe |
Fallen Tree Pins Driver To Death During Storm, 170,000 Without Power
One dead in Iraqi protest over power cuts in Basra |
In season of optimism, Kashmir Hindus dream of return |
Boot of Wilkinson helps England stun Wallabies
US drone strike kills 11 in Pakistan: officials
US envoy ends tour with visit to Egypt's Mubarak
Records: Girl's killer had calm, calculating mind
Record number of Indian candidates seeking office
China central bank to promote currency reform
China to allow more exchange rate flexibility
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01