Virginia elected its first Indian-American member of Congress

Democratic State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam will be Virginia's first Indian-American member of Congress. His political rise shows an expanding political power among South Asians in northen Virgina.

Transcript

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Democratic State Senator Suhas Subramanyam will be Virginia's first Indian American member of Congress when he's sworn in this January. Margaret Barthel, from member station WAMU, reports that his political rise is a sign of expanding political power among South Asians in Northern Virginia.

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UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Singing in non-English language).

MARGARET BARTHEL, BYLINE: That's the sound of the Kumari dance, a traditional Nepali art form. The woman performing the dance sways and twirls and poses with a large - Suhas Subramanyam For Congress - sign as backdrop. It's late October, and the Subramanyam campaign is hosting a political event that doubles as a Diwali and Tihara celebration - important religious festivals celebrated by Indians and Nepalis around the world. Think colorful garlands and a lamp to represent Diwali's theme of light winning over darkness, plus Subramanyam's stump speech.

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SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM: When we vote, what happens?

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: We win.

SUBRAMANYAM: And when we fight, what happens?

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: We win.

SUBRAMANYAM: Let's get out there. Happy Diwali, everyone, and let's get out there and vote.

(CHEERING)

BARTHEL: The sense of pride in Subramanyam's candidacy is palpable. Here's Prabha Bhattarai Deuja, a longtime activist in the local Nepali community.

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PRABHA BHATTARAI DEUJA: And everybody embrace him just like their own son. And everybody thinks that they're family. And that's just a beautiful thing to feel.

BARTHEL: Subramanyam is no stranger to historic firsts. His 2019 election to Virginia's House of Delegates made him the first Indian American and Hindu elected to the General Assembly, and his campaign frequently touts his record there. Here's Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner, who also attended the Diwali event.

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MARK WARNER: He's done the hard work, whether it's more transparency in drug prices, that he passed legislation in Richmond, or whether it's stopping a toll increase for his constituents, or whether it's, you know, making sure that we have the right kind of growth in our communities in Northern Virginia. I think he'll bring an important voice.

BARTHEL: Warner says he thinks Subramanyam will bring an important perspective on health care and small business. Industries in Northern Virginia, he says, have strong South Asian representation. Subramanyam will represent a rapidly diversifying district.

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SUBRAMANYAM: And I do want to represent the community. The South Asian community especially has been growing a lot in Virginia. I do think that they need a seat at the table.

BARTHEL: There are 65,000 South Asian residents in the 10th District, according to the Indian American Impact Fund, which supported Subramanyam's candidacy and works to give South Asians a political voice across the country. Chintan Patel is the fund's executive director.

CHINTAN PATEL: We've seen incredible growth in the South Asian American community here in the DMV over the last two decades, and finally, sort of representation is starting to catch up.

BARTHEL: While most Asian American elected officials in Virginia are Democrats, Republicans argue that they see an opening for appealing to this growing voting bloc and say they've nominated Asian Americans in some statewide races.

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BARTHEL: But on Tuesday night, Subramanyam and his Democratic supporters celebrated his historic win in a hotel ballroom near Dulles Airport - the same airport where his parents landed when they first immigrated to the U.S. from India.

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SUBRAMANYAM: And they came here to build a life and live the American dream. And through the trials and tribulations, through the homesickness and the cultural barriers, and the food that wasn't spicy enough...

(LAUGHTER)

SUBRAMANYAM: ...They made a life here, and it was because they were welcomed here.

BARTHEL: When he arrives in Congress, Subramanyam says he's ready to work across the aisle, just as he did in Richmond.

For NPR News, I'm Margaret Barthel in Dulles, Virginia.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.