Indian-origin women shaping politics
Usha Chilukuri Vance
The failed assassination attempt on Donald J. Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13 felt like a scene from history. Despite the ordeal, he recently announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his Vice-Presidential Presidential pick. However, what catches more attention is Vance’s Indian-origin wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance.
Usha, the daughter of Telugu-speaking Indian immigrants, boasts an impressive academic background with a degree in History from Yale University and a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge. A former litigator, she has clerked for Supreme Court Justices. Her most significant contribution, however, is her support and influence in her husband’s political journey.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris launched her presidential campaign in January 2019 but suspended it by March, choosing to endorse Joe Biden. In January 2021, she was sworn in as the Vice President of the United States, making history as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian person to hold this office. Raised by a Jamaican father and an Indian-born mother, Harris previously served as the District Attorney of San Francisco and the Attorney General of California.
Shivani Raja
Shivani Raja, a 29-year-old Indian MP, became the first Tory MP to win the Leicester East seat in the UK Parliament in 37 years. She recently swore her allegiance to the UK Parliament on the sacred Bhagavad Gita. Born to Indian parents from Gujarat and Rajkot, Raja has a degree in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science from De Montfort University. She secured her victory with 14,526 votes, defeating Labour Party’s Rajesh Agrawal, the former deputy mayor of London. Her victory is particularly significant as the constituency hadn’t seen a Tory elected in nearly four decades.
Nikki Haley
Nimrata Kaur Randhawa, also known as Nikki Haley, was born to Indian immigrant parents in Punjab, India.She completed her degree in accounting from Clemson University and went on to become the first woman and the first person of an ethnic minority to hold the governorship of South Carolina under the Republican banner.
She also served as Trump’s American ambassador to the UN before resigning in 2018. Haley then launched a challenge against her former mentor in the 2024 Republican presidential race. Despite her hopes to defeat Trump, she ended her moderate presidential campaign with “no regrets,” ceding the GOP nomination to him.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan
Priyanca Radhakrishnan, New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin minister, was born in India with roots in North Paravoor. She attended school in Singapore and later moved to New Zealand for further education. Radhakrishnan, a New Zealand MP, served as the Community and Voluntary Sector Minister under Ardern’s candidacy and is currently a List MP in Maungakiekie.
Anita Anand
Born to Indian parents from Tamil Nadu and Punjab, Anita Anand is a Canadian lawyer and politician currently serving as the President of the Canadian Treasury Board since July 2023 under Trudeau’s recommendation. She holds four degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and a Master of Laws, and has held academic positions at Yale, Queen’s University, and Western University.
Previously, in 2021, Anand was sworn in as the Minister of National Defence at Rideau Hall, becoming the second woman in Canadian history and the first Indian-origin woman to hold this role.
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