Indian-American lawmakers urge the diaspora to run for office
At a Capitol Hill event on 23 June, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged Indian-Americans to contest elections at every level, citing a rise in what he called anti-Hindu and anti-Indian hate.
Indian-American lawmakers used a Capitol Hill event on 23 June 2026 to press members of the community to enter electoral politics, citing a rise in anti-India sentiment in parts of the United States.
At the gathering, organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged attendees to consider running for office — city council, state house, state senate, or Congress — arguing that the community needed to make sure its voice is heard. He pointed to what he described as "the rise of anti-Hindu, anti-Indian, anti-Desi hate."
Congressman Shri Thanedar told the event that hate against immigrants was rising and called on the diaspora to stay united in confronting it, according to The Tribune. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam also took part.
The appeal followed a separate incident earlier in June, when a group of Indian-American members of Congress — Krishnamoorthi among them — condemned a demonstration outside Frisco City Hall in Texas at which a protester tore an Indian flag.
The Indian-American community is among the most educated and highest-earning in the United States, but its political representation remains thin relative to its numbers — a gap the lawmakers at the event framed as the thing that most needs to change.
Sources: The Tribune — Indian-American lawmakers urge diaspora to enter politics · Rep. Krishnamoorthi — press release on the Frisco demonstration.
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