The ‘Samosa Caucus’ in US Congress and who belongs to it

Washington: With a handful of Indian-Americans either eyeing a seat in the US Congress or seeking re-election, there are hopes that the ‘Samosa Caucus’ may grow in numbers over the coming few months.

‘Samosa Caucus’ is a nickname given to a group of Indian-American lawmakers in the US Congress. It refers to the growing number of Indian-American legislators who are of South Asian descent, particularly those of Indian origin.

The name is a playful nod to the popular Indian snack “samosa”. The term was coined around 2018 by Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois, to celebrate the growing influence of Indian-Americans in US politics.

The Caucus includes members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate who have roots in India or South Asia and who often work together on issues relevant to the Indian-American community, as well as broader issues of interest to South Asian constituents in the US.

Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian-American elected to the US Congress and served from 1957 to 1963. He represented California in the House of Representatives as a Democrat.

The next Indian-American to enter the House was 40 years later, with the election of Bobby Jindal, from Louisiana in 2004. A Republican, he served one more term and left to run and win for the governorship of his home state.

There was a gap of five years before the arrival of the next Indian-American to take oath as a member of the US Congress. Ami Bera has served continuously since first entering the House in 2013, representing California. He was joined in the House in 2017 by Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois; Pramila Jayapal from Washington State; and Ro Khanna, also from California. Krishnamoorthi coined the phrase “Samosa Caucus”, to describe the group in a nod to their Indian heritage.

The fifth member of the Caucus was Kamala Harris, who, unlike the others, was elected to the US Senate, becoming the first Indian-American to join the Upper chamber. She represented California. But her membership of both the Senate and the Caucus was cut short by her election to the vice-presidency as the running mate of President Joe Biden. The Caucus went from five to four in two years.

Shree Thanedar took the membership back to five in 2021.

All of them are now running for re-election and will hope to return for the next Congress.

The Indian-American community is looking closely at Indian-American Suhas Subramanyam’s race in a competitive district in Virginia state with the hope of increasing their representation in US Congress to six. The Economist has predicted he is “almost certain” to win.

IANS