They took lessons from other successful ethnic group lobbies, especially the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. Throughout 2006, they took out ads in Roll Call and The Washington Post, held receptions on Capitol Hill, sent out hundreds of faxes and e-mail petitions, talked to congressional staffers and harangued their senators and representatives. Finally, they piled into buses and sped to Washington to lobby door to door on Capitol Hill.
When President Bush signed the bill on December 18, 75 noted Indian Americans were invited to witness the event. Bush took singular care to thank the Indian American community’s effort, which he said “was vital to explaining this bill to our citizens and also to India.”
What’s next for Indian Americans? Exerting influence in the 2008 presidential elections, surely. In 2004, Indian Americans raised $5 million for the Democratic Party ($2 million for John Kerry alone) and $1.5 million for the Republican Party.
Though historically Indians are overwhelmingly Democrats, they are starting to lean Republican too, especially after this bill. Watch their moves, they’ve only just started.
The writer is the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
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