Indian Americans make presence felt at Democratic Convention

Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate, with his wife Michelle

Amidst all the action at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado what certainly didn't get unnoticed was the presence and number of high-profile Indian Americans, both as delegates as well as participants.

From a couple of them in 1980s, it increased to not more than a handful in the 90s and even in 2004, the number of Indian American delegates were less than a couple of dozens. This convention remarkably saw the count swell to a historic 40 with 30 committee members and alternate delegates and record number of special guests and invitees.

Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean in a message to the Indian-American Leadership Initiative on the release of its first 2008 Almanac of Indian-American Democrats -- which profiles 92 Indian-American officeholders, candidates, operatives, consultants and advocates -- at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, said, "These Indian-American Democrats, who belong to the oldest political party in the world are leading the charge to strengthen our party, elect our candidates and ensure that we build a government that lives up to the ideals that inspired generations of Indian immigrants to make America their home. Perhaps these pages include a future DNC chair, perhaps they include the first Indian-American who will manage a presidential campaign perhaps they include a future Democratic president of the United States."

Several Indian American democrats converged in Denver at the gala, which showcased the involvement and influence of fastest-growing, wealthiest and best-educated immigrant groups in the US. From San Francisco's District Attorney Kamala Harris, to former Attorney General in New York Preeta Bansal, Raj Goyle, the first Indian to be elected to the Kansas state legislature to Jay Goyal, elected to the Ohio House, they represented the growing clout of Indian Americans in US politics. New Jersey State Rep. Upendra Chivakula, California Congressman Mike Honda, Ashwin Madia, candidate for the US House from Minnesota, also spoke at the event.

The Indian American democrats were also invited for events organized by the DNC. While Goyal was one of the three speakers at a panel at an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus meeting, Hrishi Karthikeyan, co-founder of South Asians for Obama and on the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee, spoke about how to get out the youth vote.