What the president said

Dr. Bhupi Patel, IACPA President

Her (Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s) support for the Center has been consistent. For 3 consecutive years a WLP participant has interned with her. At the rate she is going, we will soon have a well-wisher in the White House.

Gopal Raju, doyen of South Asian media outside of India conceived the idea of the Center in 1993. He had the vision to see that the economic success of an immigrant community does not translate into political participation and that this very successful diaspora had a great potential for creating a meaningful voice on the Hill. I want to publicly salute him for his vision and taking the responsibility of funding most of what was required to run the Center for ten years.

When he first asked us to support the Center, it seemed like a commendable but idealistic goal. But when we went to Washington, met with the interns, we saw their commitment to the program and the difference it made to their lives, we saw a new generation of emerging leadership being created.

When the Senators and Congressmen who have had WLP interns in their offices, showed their appreciation for the quality of our program, we were convinced that we were on the right track. Over 100 students apply for the program every year. It is heart breaking to select only 15 to 17 ---- because all of them are accomplished students. We wish there were enough funds to take them all.

This Center needs your partnership ---- we need you to understand and believe in what we do. This will be our legacy to our children ---- WLP is strictly to empower them. The 132 alumni are our ambassadors. Some of them are here today.

Our job is to have annual fund-raisers like this to carry on the work we are currently doing. Also we need your support for expansion. We have 11 like-minded people on the recently expanded board. We need more of you committed to the cause. We need corporate support for endowments, and an expanded budget to make a difference, particularly in these difficult times ---- when our ‘model minority’ ---- the ‘visible model minority’ ---- has suffered a tremendous backlash after 9/11.

(Excerpts from Dr. Patel’s speech at the event)

Guests during cocktail hour at the Ballroom Foyer of the Mandarin Oriental New York on Nov. 13 for an ‘Evening with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’ to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA). (Photo: Mohammed Jaffer/Snaps India)

PHOTO ABOVE, composer and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa playing to a bass accompaniment. PHOTO INSET, award-winning pianist Vijay Iyer. The evening was a celebration of young Indian American leaders. Iyer and Mahanthappa, are young leaders in the world of music.

Chairman on the future

Gopal Raju, IACPA Chairman

Indian Americans have followed the immigrant curve and their first priority so far has been securing themselves financially. The figures are eloquent. A recent Merrill Lynch report has estimated that of the 1.8 million Indian Americans, 200,000 are millionaires. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association members control some 18,000 properties, which is 40 percent of the hospitality industry in the U.S. with $40 billion in revenues. There are 35,000 Indian American physicians, ---- 2.9 percent of the total number of physicians in the U.S. The Indian American success story continues.

The second natural step for the community was seeking political participation. Significant amounts are being raised for political races and many are running for elected office.

Since 1994 there has been progress in Washington in making India and Indian Americans better understood in the corridors of power. The Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans with 124 members is the largest on the Hill.

As the next step towards impacting on U.S. policymaking, IACPA founder Gopal Raju envisages an Indian American think tank. A think tank not just to study issues relating to India and Indian Americans, but a think tank which helps the community to be in the forefront of U.S. strategy, not just in fighting terrorism but in establishing a new world order of peace and prosperity.

Raju believes that the community has the potential to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of the culturally sensitive world of today. The Indian American success story in itself dispels the anti-American sentiment by showcasing the potential of American democracy.

With the community’s impressive education levels, strong family values and deep-rooted history of non-violence, Raju says Indian Americans are best equipped to reverse the trend from ‘madrassas’ to peace academies. Each one of the 1.8 million Indian Americans has the potential to be a new age Gandhi to spread the Mahatma’s message around the world.

Guests at the gala in the Ballroom of Mandarin Oriental New York. About 350 guests attended the black-tie event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA).

Sen. Clinton, event souvenir in hand; seen at right is hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal. Leader of the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar is second from left, with his wife, Pratibha, left. (Photos: Arvind Padmanabhan)