Several US lawmakers praised the Indian American community’s contributions to strengthening US-India relations, at the Annual Congressional Brunch of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) on September 11, 2024, at the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington DC.
On behalf of NFIA, President Raj Razdan expressed her gratitude to attendees, including lawmakers, for their support.
“Your presence here today at this congressional brunch, means a lot. It’s a testament to your commitment to our shared vision and mission. We look forward to working together to create a meaningful change in the service of the Indian American community, and enhancing the bond of Indo-US friendship,” she added. “NFIA is endeavoring for effective community advocacy to address specific issues through building awareness, engaging stakeholders, with the goal of the community empowerment.”
Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) highlighted the role of Indian Americans in New Jersey’s economic growth and their active engagement with other communities.
Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) celebrated Indian Americans’ economic successes, noting they are significant contributors to Silicon Valley startups, represent a notable percentage of physicians in the US, and many hold H1-B visas.
About H1-B visas, Moulton added, “You probably all know what these are. These are visas that are very important for highly skilled workers to come to the United States. You, your community has shown an incredible commitment to education and professional achievement really setting the standard for so many other Americans across the country.”
Shri Thanedar (D-MI) recalled how his student visa application to the United States was rejected four times before it was finally approved the fifth time. But, he proudly shared, “Today, I, as a member of Congress, I sit on the Homeland Security committee in charge with a seat at the table deciding about protecting our borders and deciding who comes into America.”
He pointed out that the “Immigration system is broken” and added “One of my missions is to get rid of the country quotas, make it much of an open system, more H1-B visas, and access to Green Cards.”
He reminded that about 20 temples have been attacked recently, and therefore he formed a Caucus for the first time in the US Congress to protect and support Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.
Former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Kathleen Kennedy emphasized “In my family, there’s been a real desire to open the doors to different immigrant groups. And you probably all know that my uncle, John Kennedy and my father worked very hard to get the 1965 immigration law passed, which is why you are all here.”
She pointed out that it was the first time that people from Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America came in large numbers.
She added “And I’m very glad, because I think the reason America does so well, and this is what Seth Moulton did say, is because we welcome people who have new energy and new ideas and work so hard to come to the United States… the Indian community had made such a difference here in our country.”
She went on to say her father believed in and liked the 1964 Civil Rights Act, but he also thought the Voting Rights Act to be equally important. Because, he thought that voting was what gave people the real power noting “You could vote for people that you liked.”
She underscored that having a lawmaker who comes from India makes a huge difference referring to Shri Thanedar who spoke before her. “I mean, wasn’t he wonderful? Not only saying, I’m here for Detroit, but I’m here for all of you. I mean, what Congressman gives you his phone number,” she added while praising Thanedar for publicly providing his personal phone number at the event.
While talking about the presidential debate performance of Kamala Harris with Donald Trump, she noted “how great she was, how fabulous she was, how terrific she was.”
As Lt. Governor of Maryland, among many things, she recalled, “The Governor asked me to lead the fight on crime, so I was put in charge of the state police, the Department of Corrections, the juvenile justice, parole and probation, and $130 million worth of grants that were supposed to go to anti-crime efforts.”
Congressman Martin Reese from Texas highlighted that when he began representing northern Irving, he noticed the Valley Ranch neighborhood has one of the largest Hindu Indian populations in Texas. This area is within the Hale Independent School District, the only school district in Texas with a majority of South Asian population. He pointed out that, although Houston has a large Indian population, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including Fort Worth, Plano, Irving, and Allen, has an even larger Indian community.
NFIA’s Executive Director, Hari Singh, along with Indian Embassy representatives, Karthik Iyer, and Jigar Raval also addressed the gathering. Dr. Subhash Razdan was the emcee at the event.
