From India To America: Leaders Reflect On US At 250

WASHINGTON, DC-Prominent Indian American political leaders from across the ideological spectrum marked the United States’ 250th Independence Day by reflecting on their immigrant roots, their families’ journeys from India and their differing visions of America, while expressing gratitude for the opportunities the country has offered.

Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai recalled how his parents arrived in the United States in 1971 carrying little more than hope for a better future.

“$8, a transistor radio, and an unshakeable belief in the American dream: that’s what my parents brought with them in 1971,” Pai wrote. “We’ve lived that dream ever since. So grateful to the United States, this nation of freedom and opportunity. Happy 250th!”

Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy tied the country’s 250th anniversary to a personal celebration, marking both Independence Day and the fourth birthday of his son, Arjun.

Calling July 4, 1776, “the most important date in the history of our universe for human freedom and human flourishing,” Ramaswamy said America’s founding remained a defining moment for liberty.

“We know it was successful because here we are, 250 years later, living in a country that allows free Americans to dream big, work hard, take risks and speak our minds,” he said, adding that he was “grateful to be a citizen of the greatest nation known to the history of man.”

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna reflected on growing up as the son of Indian immigrants in Pennsylvania after his parents arrived in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Born during America’s bicentenary in 1976, Khanna said the country’s history shaped his understanding of its ideals.

“The founders would be amazed to see some of the progress we have made, the abolition of slavery, the empowering of women’s rights, the ending of Jim Crow, the embrace of immigrants like my family from around the world,” Khanna said.

Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal recalled how her parents, while living in India and Indonesia, sent her alone to the United States at age 16 to pursue higher education. She said it took her 17 years, multiple degrees and “an alphabet soup of visas” before she became an American citizen.

“Today, as the Trump administration terrorizes immigrants and severely restricts legal pathways to citizenship, we need to remember that our American identity is uniquely tied to immigration,” Jayapal said. She called for “real, humane immigration reform” and urged Americans to commit to “protecting the promise of America” and “building a more perfect union together.”

Despite representing different political viewpoints, the leaders shared a common theme, drawing on their own or their families’ immigration journeys to reflect on America’s founding ideals 250 years after independence. Their messages also highlighted the growing influence of the more than five million Indian Americans in the country’s political and civic life. (IANS)