Kamala Harris’s nomination for the 2024 Presidential race has sparked an unprecedented surge in enthusiasm among Indian American youth, with many “coming out of the woodwork” to support her campaign. Rajeev Bhateja, co-founder of They See Blue, an organization focused on mobilizing South Asian American voters, has observed a dramatic increase in volunteer sign-ups to canvas for the Democratic nominee. “High school and college students are reaching out in numbers far greater than during the Obama, Biden, or Clinton years,” Bhateja notes.
The turning point for this wave of support, according to Akash Borde, leader of They See Blue’s youth chapter, was President Joe Biden’s decision to step out of the race. “Kamala’s nomination after Biden decided not to rerun created a lot more excitement among my peers,” Borde says. Harini Krishnan, Co-director of South Asians for Harris, agrees, noting, “With concerns about Biden’s age and foreign policy, we struggled to engage young voters. Now, my phone is blowing up with unprecedented momentum in the South Asian community.”
Across the country, hundreds of volunteers are knocking on doors, running phone banks, and writing postcards to rally voters for Harris. It’s not just her shared heritage, but also her ability to deliver “better speeches” compared to Biden that resonates with Indian-American supporters. Young voters describe her campaign as “uplifting,” with a message of “hope and positivity” that contrasts sharply with the “doom and gloom” of Donald Trump’s rhetoric.
A recent July 2024 survey revealed that Asian-American support for Biden has waned since 2020, with his lead over Trump shrinking from nearly 30 points to just 15. Krishnan believes that a “complacency” had set in, but Harris’s entry has “transformed the landscape.” Sangay Mishra, a political science professor and author of Desis Divided: The Political Lives of South Asian Americans, echoes this sentiment, suggesting that support for Harris could match or even exceed what Biden received in 2020.
However, despite the enthusiasm, Harris’s Indian-American identity hasn’t been enough to sway many Republican supporters. For loyal Republicans like Florida-based hotelier Danny Gaekwad, who has consistently backed GOP candidates, issues such as border security, legal immigration, and lower taxes take precedence over shared ethnic roots. Gaekwad emphasizes that voters should focus on local issues rather than being swayed by ethnic ties, criticizing the tendency among some Indian Americans to seek out connections with prominent Indian-American figures like Harris.
As the campaign progresses, it remains to be seen whether Harris’s shared heritage will significantly impact voter turnout beyond her party’s base.