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A Diverse, Vibrant Community
point for the Indo-American community, with traditional music, dance, arts and other programs
that cross regional, sect and caste boundaries.
A growing number of Bay Area non-Indians are also taking the Center’s yoga and Indian music
and dance classes as well. “If you look at our table tennis league, hardly five percent of the players
are of Indian origin,” Sharma says. “That gladdens my heart, because that’s what it’s all about,
people coming together.”
The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), based in Fremont, is an umbrella group
of some 40 community organizations originally established in the 1980s. It is part of a
national FIA network of similar organizations throughout the U.S., that is dedicated to
representing the interests and increasing the visibility of the Indo-American community and to
expanding business opportunities. FIA is best known as organizer of the annual Festival of India &
Parade since 1992, which recently featured Bollywood actress and model Amrita Rao as 2007 grand
marshal. The organization has also raised money for disaster relief in South Asia and supports the
Aasra Shelter for victims of domestic violence. It offers free medical care at its annual health fair
during the festival, as well as programs for youth and seniors.
Political Networks: The Next Logical Step
TiE, AIF and ICC demonstrated to the Indian community what can be achieved by coordinating
and leveraging its combined wealth and talent. Although Indian donors have raised and contributed
millions of dollars for local, state and national political campaigns, their ability to field candidates
and exert influence on issues of importance—education, health care, U.S. economic
competitiveness, H-1B visa restrictions, the Patriot Act, outsourcing, and U.S.-India relations—
has been limited to date.
Nationwide, Indo-Americans hold a relatively small number of seats in state legislatures (Minnesota,
Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Maryland) or local offices, so the recent election of Republican
Governor Bobby Jindal in Louisiana made headlines. But Dilip Singh Saund remains the only
Indo-American to have served in Congress, from 1956–62. Locally, San Francisco District
Attorney Kamala Harris and Fremont City Council member Anu Natarjan are the only elected
officials of Indian descent.
In October 2007, the Indian community launched an initiative of its own, beginning with
an inaugural conference of the Indo-American Council (IAC) at the India Community
Center in Milpitas. IAC was created by a group of prominent community leaders—among
them Vinod Dham, Navneet Chugh, Dr. Kamil and Talat Hasan, Kumar Malavalli, California Medical
Association president Anmol Mahal, Cirrus Logic founder Suhas Patil, former Excelan CEO and TiE
president Kanwal Rekhi, and Storm Ventures managing partner Sanjay Subhedar—with the goals to:
• increase the visibility and influence of the Indo-American community through public
service and political activism;
• inspire, mentor and provide material support for young Indo-Americans to get involved
in public service and run for public office;
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