iNDICA News Bureau-
The Indian American Impact Project hosted a first-of-its-kind summit and gala May 18 to engage and mobilize the South Asian community.
The event featured over 300 prominent community members, including celebrities, politicians, philanthropists and organizers, to unite to learn and celebrate in time for AAPI (Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian) Heritage Month.
The ‘Dream with Ambition’ summit was a successful educational experience for the guests, in which they were able to explore the policy and advocacy and constituency subtopics of their choice and hear from distinguished guests such as U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ami Bera as well as Vice-President Kamala Harris.
The event is Impact’s latest push to energize and prepare the largest growing voting bloc in the country — South Asians — to integrate into their communities with knowledge on running for office, combating misinformation, mobilizing locally and learning to use all the tools with which to lead.
Vice-President Harris recalled how her mother came to the U.S. from India when she was only 19 to become a breast cancer researcher. “She raised my sister and me to believe we could be anything and do anything if we set our minds to it,” she said. “She taught us to ‘Dream with Ambition’ and so many of you gathered here today have something special in common. You see what can be unburdened by what has been.”
The Veep added, “Every day, in communities across our nation, you are advancing equality, opportunity and justice. You are inspiring the next generation of leaders and, in particular, the next generation of South Asian leaders.”
She said her message to them all was to always remember what had brought them to this moment and continue to dream with ambition, lead with conviction and strive to do the impossible. “Because you, and we all, are standing on the shoulders of so many who came before, and living their dreams. Our nation is counting on you, on Impact, and all of us to lead us forward.”
Indian American Impact executive director Neil Makhija noted that historically, South Asians have been “overlooked, underestimated, and underrepresented politically”.
However, after seeing so many community members and future leaders come together at Impact, he said being overlooked was clearly “a thing of the past”.
“At Impact, it is crucial for us to empower young South Asians to mobilize their friends and families to get involved in the political process,” Makhija said. “As the fastest growing voting bloc in the country, we have strength in numbers and the future of the Democratic Party needs to be reflective of the communities they serve.”
