The official launch of the Republican Hindu Coalition. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)
Indian-Americans make up one of the of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population and generally lean Democratic. But Shalabh ‘Shalli’ Kumar – a wealthy Chicago businessman who immigrated from India nearly 50 years ago – is hoping to change that.
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This year, Kumar founded a new group called the Republican Hindu Coalition to try to consolidate Hindu-American support in key battleground states ahead of the 2016 election for Republicans.
“The first thing on the minds as Hindu-Americans is to establish themselves as successful citizens: Have good jobs, make money and get a good education. Politics has not just been the focus,” said Kumar, who moved to America in the late 1960s.
Kumar said he sees an opportunity for Republicans to tap into the Hindu and Indian American population. As a whole, only about a third of Asian-Americans identify with a political party and the group has been found to “under-participate” in elections. When they do participate politically, they have traditionally leaned Democratic. In 2012, 84 percent of Indian Americans voted for President Barack Obama over his Republican rival.
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