"As the child of a black man and a white woman, someone who was born in the racial melting pot of Hawaii, with a sister who's half-Indonesian but who's usually mistaken for Mexican or Puerto Rican, and a brother-in-law and niece of Chinese descent...I've never had the option of restricting my loyalties on the basis of race, or measuring my worth on the basis of tribe. Moreover, I believe that part of America's genius has always been its ability to absorb newcomers, to forge a national identity out of the disparate lot that arrived on our shores."
—Excerpted from Senator Barack Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope

***

Indian American lawyer Subodh Chandra is a big fan of Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The race for the support of the Indian American community shows its clout. It's time they raised the bar.

"He is the closest thing to a second-generation desi running for the White House," Chandra declares. Obama is the son of a black Kenyan man and his white wife from Kansas. As a boy, he spent a few years in Indonesia. Obama's background and life experiences resonate with Chandra, as it should have with others in the Indian American community. But among a handful of candidates who are in the race to win the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2008 presidential election, it's New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who seems to have a definite edge in the wooing of Indians.

Those back home who are surprised should recall that cliche—old habits die hard. Particularly among Indians. The fact is, some colour-conscious Indian Americans just can't get past the colour of Obama's skin. Stanford University's Rafiq Dossani isn't surprised that "after decades of pushing Fair & Lovely cream" some Indian Americans discriminate against Obama. This, though, could cut both ways in what are still early days. As Dossani adds, "If you've witnessed the effects of being coloured—especially in the South where there are a large number of Indian Americans in Birmingham, Alabama—then you would surely be inclined to look favourably at Obama."

Racial bias, unfortunately, tends to be part of the baggage many Indians bring to America's shores. A preference for fair skin is obvious from the matrimonial columns of desi publications in America. Chandra hasn't personally noticed the community shunning Obama because of his race, but says it would be a shame if that were the case. "Indians and blacks have worked together since the time of Mahatma Gandhi's struggle in South Africa," he points out.

Chicago resident Ann Kalayil, a longtime Obama supporter, has been working hard to help the senator make inroads into the community. She says some Indians are hesitant to support him because they don't believe an African American can win a presidential election. "Let alone a black man, they aren't even confident an Indian American can win. It's a reflection more of where we are in race relations," she says, adding with a laugh, "But the community is confident a white woman who is Bill Clinton's wife can win!"

But there are reasons other than the colour bias why the Indians are rooting for Hillary. Kamil Hasan, at-large member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and a venture capitalist, says Obama lacks support because "he doesn't have enough experience and his views aren't well known". Kamil recently hosted a fundraiser for Hillary at his home in Saratoga, California; he has also contributed money to Obama's campaign. As a DNC member, he can't officially endorse any candidate at present, but his wife, Talat, supports Hillary.

Hillary's strong support within the community is perhaps best illustrated by a June 24 fundraiser in New York—1,260 guests raised close to $3 million for her. New York City hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, who aims to be the biggest Indian American fundraiser for the New York senator, claims the event was the largest in the community's history. Well-heeled guests included S.P. Hinduja, Subhash Chandra of Zee TV, Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra.

This wasn't Chopra's first time at a fundraiser for Hillary. A longtime supporter, the pioneer of holistic wellness describes her as a strong, liberal candidate with independent views. "She stands for universal healthcare and restoring America's role as a friend and nurturer," Chopra contends. "America at this moment has tarnished its image because of the arrogance, unilateralism and materialism that has been fostered by the current administration. I see her as a healer, and while remaining strong she can bring in the feminine qualities of nurturing and creativity."

There's also familiarity with Hillary: her association with the Indian community goes back over a decade. Unlike Obama, she has Indian Americans working in key positions. For instance, Neera Tanden is the policy director of Hillary's campaign, helping develop her presidential agenda on issues ranging from healthcare to education to the economy and foreign policy. She has worked on and off with Hillary for the past 10 years; the NY senator even organised a bridal shower for Neera during their White House days together. Stories of such close proximity between Hillary and an Indian woman helps in mopping up support—a fact testified to by Neera who says Hillary has "a vast reservoir of support in the community".

The charismatic Clintons have always had a huge following among Indians here. "They like Bill Clinton, but Hillary Clinton is not Bill Clinton," cautions Kalayil. But support for her isn't blind or irrational. For instance, Anil Godhwani, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, decided to back Hillary because of her "depth of knowledge about world affairs". For Dr Rajwant Singh, who heads the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, the reason is remarkably different: "Hillary helped Sikh Americans when we were targeted in the racial backlash following the 9/11 attacks."

But what cost Obama dearly was the memo his campaign team issued against Hillary, questioning her about her ties with India and Indians. For instance Nishith Acharya, who served in the Clinton administration and is now with the Indian American Leadership Initiative in Boston, says, "Most of the community is behind Hillary—for many reasons, including a backlash against the memo." Obama has apologised for the memo, but the damage in the minds of Indian Americans appears to have been done.

Toby Chaudhuri, who directs communications at the Washington headquarters for the Campaign for America's Future, says Obama had significant support among young Indian Americans who were excited about his message of inclusion and promise to bring a new kind of politics to the country. "But Indian Americans of every stripe were shocked to see that his campaign would hit a specific ethnic group to score political points," he said. "Using the worst kind of anti-Indian stereotyping possible, Indian Americans felt like Obama turned his back on them."

The race to win the Indian American community's support also demonstrates its new clout. It has indubitably started playing a bigger role in the political system, acknowledges Chatwal, adding, proudly, "We have the highest per capita income and are no less than anyone." Indeed, Hillary's campaign has captured the chequebooks of the moneybags in the community. By contrast, Obama's campaign is a grassroots effort dominated by young professionals.

South Asians for Obama (SAFO), a group set up to put the senator in the White House, has had an "incredible" response, says its member Hrishi Karthikeyan, adding, "Support for Obama spans generations and has picked up steam in the last couple of months. " He believes the community should support Obama because, among many things, it shares his story. "He offers hope for people like us and has the ability to inspire a whole generation," he said.


Hillary or Obama, one thing is sure—the ball is in the community's court. "The candidates are listening to our dollars," Chaudhuri said, adding, "We're in the driver's seat with our many voices. It's time for Indian Americans to raise the bar." Which is to say back a candidate who will be good for America, for your family, for your business—perhaps even for your country of origin.