June 6, 2012
Washington: Growing strong, the small Indian American community is a powerful symbol of the best of America and is playing a key role in strengthening the relationship between the two largest democratic countries of the world, a top Obama Administration official said today.
June 6, 2012
Washington: Growing strong, the small Indian American community is a powerful symbol of the best of America and is playing a key role in strengthening the relationship between the two largest democratic countries of the world, a top Obama Administration official said today.
"Indian-Americans who work tirelessly to improve ties between the United States and India and the lives of their fellow citizens in both countries are a powerful symbol of the best of America: our commitment to community service, our idealism, and our optimism," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said.
"From Congress to the National Spelling Bee, the Indian American community is one of the most energetic and successful diaspora groups in the United States. You have one of the highest per capita incomes of any diaspora group, and Indian Americans are increasingly active in American politics as the success of Governors Bobby Jindal, Nikki Haley and so many others shows," he said.
In his remarks to an event organized by the US-India World Affairs Institute, Blake said common thread — from the classrooms of Chennai and Charlottesville to the boardrooms in Mumbai and Minneapolis — is the passionate and committed Indian-American community.
"All of you are helping shape and guide one of the defining bilateral relationships of the 21st century," he said at the event which was co-hosted by the Asia Society and the East West Center.
"Indian-Americans have also helped write the story of this nation. President Obama reminded us just a few weeks ago at a gala celebrating our Asian Pacific American heritage of 'the trailblazer' Dalip Singh Saund. As a young man in 1920 he came to the US to study agriculture, stayed to become a farmer, and took on the cause of citizenship for all people of South Asian descent," he said.
"And once Saund earned his own citizenship, he stepped up to serve the country he loved — and became the first Asian American elected to the Congress. Even the youngest Indian Americans are making their mark. Nine of the past 13 national spelling bee champions have been Indian American children whose abilities are surely the envy of all of us who must rely on our computers and smartphones to catch our spelling errors," Blake said.
To support that unwavering commitment to philanthropy and service, Blake said the US is soon launching a project to facilitate American generosity towards India.
"India is home to about 1.5 million NGOs, but much of their work is not fully known here in the United States. In addition, it is not easy to identify the NGOs credible enough to receive a donor's money. We are helping to change this," he said.
Courtesy: indolink
