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Indian American Impact, an organisation that was launched in 2016 to mobilise Indian Americans and South Asians in public life and politics in America, is going all out to rally support for US Vice President and Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“Impact has been working towards greater civic participation and engagement in political issues of Indian Americans and South Asians as well as more representation of members of the community in public offices.We are now going full speed ahead to mobilise support for Vice President Harris’s campaign to make sure that there’s a very big turnout for her from members of our community,” Chintan Patel, executive director of Impact, a veteran campaign and political organiser, who joined the organisation earlier this year, told the Times of India.
“We are working hard to mobilise support for Harris in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania; which have a large Indian diaspora population. We feel that Indian Americans in these states could make a difference in deciding the Presidential election result this November,” Patel, who is himself based in Virginia, said. Indian Americans are the fastest growing immigrant community in many American states and considered increasingly influential in American politics.
Some of the activity that Impact is involved in to support Harris include phone banking to engage in one-on-one conversations with South Asian voters who live in the swing state of Michigan; writing and distributing postcards to voters, sharing articles and social media posts with online networks, and canvassing in person for support among community members. The organisation, which has endorsed Harris for President, has also launched a website as a one-stop-hub for the South Asian American electorate to support her.
“There is palpable energy and members of the community are stepping up to support the VP. We signed up 1000 volunteers in just one week,” Patel, who has over 15 years of experience in grassroots organising and political campaigns and worked at End Citizens United/Let America Vote, as vice president of political affairs, said. In his last assignment, he directed political strategy across federal and non-federal races, helping win over 350 campaigns and cultivating relationships with community stakeholders.
Indian American Impact, which has endorsed and supported 164 candidates across the US, contributing to the rise of Indian and South Asian American representation in politics; is also reaching out to many of the elected representatives and leaders, from the community, at all levels, for support. “We support strong candidates from the community who represent our values. We are now reaching out to them to support Harris’s campaign,” Patel said.
The organisation is also raising funds from Indian Americas for the campaign. “There is a lot of support among South Asians for Harris on the ground. Fund raising is an important part of the campaign and is happening at the grassroots level with different sections of the community joining in. There are many small donors who want to show their support and be a part of the campaign,” he said.
“Impact has been working towards greater civic participation and engagement in political issues of Indian Americans and South Asians as well as more representation of members of the community in public offices.We are now going full speed ahead to mobilise support for Vice President Harris’s campaign to make sure that there’s a very big turnout for her from members of our community,” Chintan Patel, executive director of Impact, a veteran campaign and political organiser, who joined the organisation earlier this year, told the Times of India.
“We are working hard to mobilise support for Harris in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania; which have a large Indian diaspora population. We feel that Indian Americans in these states could make a difference in deciding the Presidential election result this November,” Patel, who is himself based in Virginia, said. Indian Americans are the fastest growing immigrant community in many American states and considered increasingly influential in American politics.
Some of the activity that Impact is involved in to support Harris include phone banking to engage in one-on-one conversations with South Asian voters who live in the swing state of Michigan; writing and distributing postcards to voters, sharing articles and social media posts with online networks, and canvassing in person for support among community members. The organisation, which has endorsed Harris for President, has also launched a website as a one-stop-hub for the South Asian American electorate to support her.
“There is palpable energy and members of the community are stepping up to support the VP. We signed up 1000 volunteers in just one week,” Patel, who has over 15 years of experience in grassroots organising and political campaigns and worked at End Citizens United/Let America Vote, as vice president of political affairs, said. In his last assignment, he directed political strategy across federal and non-federal races, helping win over 350 campaigns and cultivating relationships with community stakeholders.
Indian American Impact, which has endorsed and supported 164 candidates across the US, contributing to the rise of Indian and South Asian American representation in politics; is also reaching out to many of the elected representatives and leaders, from the community, at all levels, for support. “We support strong candidates from the community who represent our values. We are now reaching out to them to support Harris’s campaign,” Patel said.
The organisation is also raising funds from Indian Americas for the campaign. “There is a lot of support among South Asians for Harris on the ground. Fund raising is an important part of the campaign and is happening at the grassroots level with different sections of the community joining in. There are many small donors who want to show their support and be a part of the campaign,” he said.
