Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-NJ)

Q : Which party, the Republican or the Democratic, serves the community better?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : The Democratic Party has been a party of choice for many of the South Asian Americans because of the Kennedy-Johnson immigration bill of the 1960s that allowed the immigration of South Asians to the United States and it continued in that the Democrats have attracted the South Asian Americans quite a bit by encouraging them to participate in the political process. Lately, I think the Republican Party is also trying to make the overtures to attract them. It is good. Competition between both parties to attract Asian Americans and in particular South Asian Americans is very important.

Q : I am glad that you mentioned that the Republican Party is also making the overtures. What is that the Democratic Party can offer more or how is it different? Can we compare?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : I think the Democratic Party tent is much bigger that they try to attract the people no matter what your ethnicity. You don’t feel lonely in the Democratic tent. In the Republican tent, if you watched the Republican convention, South Asian faces are few and far between. If you look at elected officials or their appointed officials, they are few. The numbers are increasing in the Republican Party but I think South Asians seem to feel comfortable in the Democratic Party.

Q : You are absolutely right. That was the traditional party for us (new immigrants) to be with, for most immigrants are with the Democratic Party but as the community grows up, their political savvy is definitely increasing. And some of them tend to think that the Democratic Party takes us for granted. Do you share that view?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : I think the responsibility is on the community that we should be well educated in terms of the political process. We need to ask things; without asking even your mom won’t feed you. So it is very important that we understand why we are doing what we are doing in terms of whether there is a political fundraiser, whether it is campaigns or rallies for elected officials.

Q : What do you think we can ask for?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : Definitely participation. It is like asking for a seat at the dinner table, once you are there and they see you they cannot ignore your issues and they have to give you the opportunity. It has to happen at various levels, it has start at the local level state and national levels. If you look at the political appointments, we have to ask for those because there are a number of positions. We don’t even know what positions are there. That’s one thing we should be aware of.

Q : You mean safe seats?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : I am talking about appointed positions. There are many appointed positions, for example say in the local zoning board, planning board, we don’t get those.

Q : How do people find about those?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : These are all listed. These are all underPublic Records Act. All this information is available. We don’t do our homework.

Q : Since the rate is so tight and every vote is going to count and it is so divided and neck-to-neck perhaps you want to give some specifics to our community that they can hang their hat on.

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : One of the important things to look at is that many of us come to the United States for the freedom and civil liberties. The Patriot Act, whose name is patriot but it is taking away civil liberties, looking at your differences how you dress, what language you speak, how you look and people are trying to probe and spy and that type of thing is not good for the country.

Q : We have had such a huge backlash after 9/11 and in that connection one has to bring in the Patriot Act. But the Democrats also voted for the Patriot Act, didn’t they?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : It is a very sad thing that most of the members except two or three in the House and one in the Senate voted for that without understanding the long-term impact on people like us. That’s why we need to make sure that our elected representatives really represent the community.

Q : Would the Democrats propose to take away the complete Act? Would you give me the specifics?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : In the Patriot Act there are elements which are very much needed in terms of our security of the homeland but there are elements where people want to know what kind of books you read, what types of Web sites you have visited that type of information or even your personal credit information and then civil liberties. This country was built on freedom so you have certain civil liberties. You cannot allow anybody to take them away. Security is very selective. If you don’t fit in a particular stereotype, then you are supposed to be innocent.

Q : Also some of the backlash against the community is happening because a lot of underlying racial attitudes are coming out in the environment of fear. Would you agree?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : Definitely because the country is polarized. For example if you look at the issue of business process outsourcing, the Bergen Record in New Jersey has done a week-long series. Everywhere they talk about outsourcing they talk about India whereas the outsourcing issue is a global issue.

Q : Can you explain the Democratic position on outsourcing in little more detail?

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : Senator John Kerry in his platform and talking points has said that we cannot allow companies to enjoy tax benefits when they take jobs away.

Q : So what Senator Kerry would change is just that. He is not completely anti-outsourcing.

UPENDRA CHIVUKULA : That is the only thing he is opposing. He is not anti-outsourcing. He is saying that we cannot reward those companies that take jobs away. He is not talking about protectionism.