Category: Democracy

The phenomenal upsurge of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris in July and August is inspirational for me to witness – and support. She brings a multi-ethnic background to her Presidential candidacy that is unique – and illustrative of how significantly the American population has become so diverse.  While it is obvious that an over-emphasis on ethnic identities could also operate negatively, I am personally impressed with how immigration patterns of the past fifty years have become so well integrated into the American politic.  And for me, it is how Indian Americans, in particular, have emerged as a significant presence in the American political world that has caught my eye.

Continue reading “Personalized Impressions of Indian-Americans in American Politics and Culture”

About a week ago I posted a personal commentary about Indian Americans in America, one of whom happens to be none other than Vice President Kamala Harris . Oddly, I had not anticipated that she would so suddenly be transformed from her supporting role in President Biden’s re-election campaign to become the  Democratic candidate for President of the United States herself!  Here are some follow-up reflections on what this means to me in my personal attachment to the Indian-American community in the US. And I look forward to being actively involved in supporting her candidacy. Continue reading “Kamala Harris for an inclusive Presidency!”

The phenomenal upsurge of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris in July and August is inspirational for me to witness – and support. She brings a multi-ethnic background to her Presidential candidacy that is unique – and illustrative of how significantly the American population has become so diverse.  While it is obvious that an over-emphasis on ethnic identities could also operate negatively, I am personally impressed with how immigration patterns of the past fifty years have become so well integrated into the American politic.  And for me, it is how Indian Americans, in particular, have emerged as a significant presence in the American political world that has caught my eye.

Continue reading “Personalized Impressions of Indian-Americans in American Politics and Culture”

The United States has the largest foreign-born population of any country in the world (roughly 50 million). This is not the highest percentage of the population – many smaller countries have that standing (including Switzerland – but also Germany and Austria).  With a long (albeit erratic) history of previous immigration flows, both voluntary and forced, the US is probably the most diverse country in the world.  But the EU has also experienced comparably significant increases in migration and diversification. Without dwelling on the past, however, my commentary compares the US with the EU and explores the similarities and differences in the challenges they are facing and how they are being addressed. Continue reading “Comparing US and EU Recent Migration Trends”

Migration has become a  prominent political issue in both the US and Europe. One could argue that it has always been a visibly controversial and divisive issue – and certainly so in the past ten or fifteen years.  What is different this year, however, is how rapidly it has risen to the top of the political agenda both in the US and Europe. The heating up of the migration debate may be attributable to its easy manipulation by populists in a significant year for elections in both the US and Europe. But it is clear that the record numbers of people seeking to migrate have been aggravated by the unusual ways that the legal framework for what one might call “irregular” or “unauthorized” migration have come to dominate the debate. The following commentary assesses the European and French context of the migration debate, with some preliminary comparisons with the US context. A separate commentary is planned to reflect further on recent developments in the US. Continue reading “European Migration Issues: An Introductory Commentary”

The outcome of the state legislative elections in Virginia, held on Tuesday, 6 November 2023, produced narrow majorities for the Democrats in both houses of the General Assembly. In contrast to the alarming polarization and the populist takeover of one of the major political parties at the national level, this is an encouraging example of democracy in action. I include this chronicling of Virginia’s politics from afar in this series on “Democracy under Threat” with a bit of optimism while also recognizing the worrisome undercurrents that are evident even in Virginia. Continue reading “Slim Democratic Majorities in Virginia”

In these last few days before Election Day in Virginia (Tuesday, November 7th), I have the impression that democracy is alive and well in this part of the world. One can lament the enormous and unrestricted amount of money that has gone into the 140 state legislative races for the Virginia General Assembly, as well as the barrage of negative advertising by or on behalf of many of the candidates, especially in the hotly contested districts. But it is a truly competitive election, thanks to the involvement of the media and civil society groups and academic commentators in publicizing where all that money is coming from and how the candidates are positioning themselves on the issues. I am impressed. Continue reading “In the Final Days of the Virginia Elections”