Click to play videoNew York: Indian Americans are becoming more active, and therefore more visible, in American political life.
The latest example is Harvinder Anand, who took over as mayor of a small, affluent community near New York City this week. Anand is a registered Republican, but he stood without any party affiliation and was elected unopposed.
Laurel Hollow in Long Island is an upscale, residential village with a population of around 2,000. The election of New Delhi-born Harvinder Anand, a chemical engineer and CEO of an industrial chemicals company, is remarkable as there are only 10 Indian families in the village.
“In this country I feel you’re recognised for who you are as an individual and your talents and what you can contribute to whatever office you’re running for,” says Anand.
Anand’s neighbour Marty Novick says the village elected an able him. “I think it was based on him and his record that made the difference, and not that he wore a turban or not didn’t make a difference. That’s the great thing about America,” says Novick.
Anand, who was elected unopposed, is no stranger to electoral politics, having won student elections in Punjab University in Chandigarh. But while he now identifies more with his adopted country and the community that elected him mayor, Anand is proud of his roots.
“I’m a proud American of Indian origin. I think I bring some of the experience and values with me from India, which I think allow me to make a greater contribution to my village,” says Anand.
Watching the new mayor being sworn in was a crowd of Laurel Hollow residents, New York state politicians, and a special guest – the legendary Dr James Watson, who discovered the structure of DNA along with his research partner Francis Crick.
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