Desi Immigrant Politicians: Do They Have to Be Conservative to Be Successful

Maybe its the South. Maybe it is just Louisiana, and South Carolina. I know Kumar Barve is quite liberal, but first it was Bobby Jindal, and now Nikki Randhawa Haley-two successful-ish republican conservative desis?

I guess it doesn't matter sometimes how hard you try to assimilate, b/c it seems despite conforming to the values that many of her constituents espouse, a lot of racism remained during the Randhawa-Haley's campaign.

From the article:
A WOMAN STOOD outside a polling place last Tuesday holding a Nikki Haley sign. A man who was driving away rolled down his window to shout at her, “I hope your children worship cows!” That confused the lady with the sign. The man was a good way down the road before she decided it was meant as a slur on Hinduism. Nikki Haley, by the way, is not a Hindu. At another point during the House District 87 runoff against incumbent Rep. Larry Koon, Haley campaign manager B.J. Boling received the following e-mail: “Please remember that she is a Buddhist. One of my friends ... verified this for me. I can only vote for a Christian, Larry Koon is a deacon and a wonderful Christrian man an does a lot for bring money into Lexington County. Please send this to your friends.”

Haley, isn't a Buddhist either. She is a Sikh, and now Lexington county is represented by a republican, desi-American, Sikh/methodist, conservative in the South Carolina Assembly. Click here to read the full story from the local South Carolina paper.

While DESIBLOG doesn't necessarily agree with her politics, we must congratulate her on her victory. It does however leave the question unanswered--must immigrants portray this bible thumping outlook to win an election. Is this the only way that middle America can accept an immigrant into the mainstream?

posted by sajit @ 8:55 PM