As a young Indian American commentator, its both exciting and challenging when an Indian American breaks into the national political arena. To date, weve seen former Louisiana Gov. Piyush Bobby Jindal, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley run for president. But the reality is that Jindal is a footnote to history, Harris is predominantly perceived as a Black woman first , and Haley is white-passing and has only recently embraced her Indian American identity for this latest presidential bid. Moreover, each of these figures is from a previous generation coming of age in a very different America than the one inherited by millennials and Gen Z.

Therefore, my interest was piqued when, a few months back, I learned of an Indian American millennial whod entered the 2024 presidential race out of nowhere. That candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, burst onto the national political scene last Wednesday at the Republican primary debate.

Though I had already done a deep dive into the right-wing tech bro and culture warrior, I watched Ramaswamys debate performance with a unique sense of dread. I hoped the people watching at home knew this was no representation of either my generation or the Indian American community. Ramaswamy, 38, is one of the few high-profile young Indian American political voices, but nearly every word out of his mouth betrays the core values of the demographics hes invoking for his deeply cynical campaign.

In rallying cries to his fellow Indians to break free from the British Empire, Mahatma Gandhi often cited and drew from the American Revolution. No doubt Ramaswamy, who has centered the revolution in his messaging, knows this well. However, unlike Ramaswamy, the vast majority of Indian Americans having come of age during or just after Indian Independence in the mid-20th century treasure the hard-won privilege of democracy.

At the debate, the biotech entrepreneur fed red meat to the MAGA base, arguing that former President Donald Trump was the best president of the 21st century and dismissing urgent threats to democracy both domestically and abroad (e.g. siding with Vladimir Putins Russia over Ukraine). In stark contrast, in 2016, a reported 77% of Indian Americans voted for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and in 2020, over 70% of Indian Americans supported the Biden-Harris ticket .

In fact, in response to Trumpism and its anti-immigrant rhetoric, Indian Americans have become increasingly politically engaged in support of progressive policies. As journalist Vidya Krishan explains : Indian Americans used to be sheltered from Americas racial storm but then came Trump and COVID-19.