About three days after Vice President Kamala Harris launched her run for president, Hetali Lodaya, an attorney based in Durham, logged onto a Zoom call that gathered thousands of South Asian women, including public figures like Mindy Kaling, in support for Harris' candidacy.
"The very palpable energy there was from all the people who were speaking and all the people in the comments, (saying) 'We can do this' — that felt energizing," Lodaya said.
Lodaya, 32, said she feels uncertain that Harris can defeat Republican candidate Donald Trump in November, but is confident that she would cast a vote for the vice president if she becomes the Democratic nominee. Lodaya said she sees Harris, a woman of color raised by an Indian immigrant, as someone she could identify more with than President Biden and someone she could have a productive conversation with.
"I feel very confident that she's someone who's largely on the same page with me," Lodaya said. "And is someone that folks who are wanting to advocate for communities that matter to me can find common ground with — or push her in a way that is actually likely to be meaningful."
Ever since Biden stepped down from his campaign for president and endorsed Harris in mid-July, many Asian Americans, especially Indian American voters, have expressed a renewed sense of interest in this year's election. According to a 2024 survey of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, Biden was losing support from Asian Americans. Some are hopeful that having Harris on the ballot will encourage that voting bloc to head to the polls in November, while others are cautiously seeing how she expresses her stance on issues, such as the war in Gaza.
"Being from India, I feel a sense of pride seeing Kamala Harris reach such a high level in American politics," said Vishal Ghadia, vice chair of Desi Dems and the NC-based Indian American Liaison for South Asians for America. "She's also a role model, showing younger generations that with hard work and dedication, they, too, can aspire to hold higher political offices."
Some Indian American political organizers, like Sarah Shah, Indian American Impact's director of strategic communications and partnerships, feel strongly that they can rally voters to elect Harris in November.
"She is someone I see my story and aspirations in and she shows what is possible, right? That the American dream isn't this intangible thing we can't ever reach, but it's something that is attainable," said Shah, who lives in Durham. "I think people are really fired up. It's almost like we didn't know what we were waiting for until it happened, and I absolutely think we will help deliver the White House to her."
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up just 4% of North Carolina's population, but they are the fastest growing racial group in the state. Among them, Indian Americans consist of the largest portion of NC's AAPI population. Jimmy Patel-Nguyen, director of communications at North Carolina Asian Americans Together, said it's a misconception that there aren't enough Asian American voters to impact elections, especially when presidential candidates have won the state by very small margins.
"Candidates really should be fighting for each of the votes we have here in North Carolina, including the Asian American electorate because we have such a sizeable voting bloc," Patel-Nugyen said.
According to the state elections board, there are more than 128,000 Asian Americans registered to vote. In 2020, former president Donald Trump won the state by less than 75,000 votes.
Many younger voters, like Chhitij Tiwari, a 27-year-old physician based in the Triangle, were relieved to see Biden withdraw from the race after his dismal debate performance in early July. Tiwari said he would cast a vote for Harris, but wonders how she will distinguish herself from Biden.
"She hasn't really, in my mind, had a chance to really develop her own persona outside the shadow of Biden's administration," Tiwari said. "I think that would be something that I would consider a challenge for her. How can she show that she's accomplished something and has meaningful experiences and a CV of her own outside of Joe Biden and her time as a VP to him."
Pranav Pinapala, a 20-year-old UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate student, said he wants to learn more about where Harris stands on certain policies, particularly healthcare. And while he thinks the idea of having an Indian president is empowering, Pinapala said it matters more to him to elect a competent president.
"At the end of the day, it boils down to how are her policies helping improve our economy, the lives elderly patients, the lives of American taxpayers," Pinapala said.
Some Indian Americans, like Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, say they have cautious optimism about Harris, but also want her to push for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"The way that this administration has continued to provide funding to Israel to bomb indiscriminately Palestinians, impacting young children, women and men who are completely innocent and have no part in this war," Allam said. "It's all at the hands of, unfortunately, our taxpayer dollars."
"I think the way that we're going to really see change is for us to have our voices heard, is to keep speaking up, is to keep pushing her and making sure that she hears from us," she added.
In this year's primary elections, many participated in a movement to vote "uncommitted" in protest of Biden's support of Israel. Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to press for a cease-fire in Gaza and as NPR's Asma Khalid reported, Harris is trying to appeal to members of the Democratic party who feel alienated by Biden's handling of the war while also trying not to turn away those who support Israel.
Allam said she is leaning more towards voting for Harris than she did with Biden, and that it would be meaningful to see an Indian president elected.
"As a mother now, myself of a two-year-old and a two-month-old, I want them to be proud of their Indian heritage. I want them to see a president who shares their culture and heritage as well," she said.
