Nikki Haley’s Indian Roots: Why They Matter And The Tightrope Walk Ahead
It’s evident that Haley and her campaign is aware that leaning on identity politics may hurt her as a presidential candidate.
There’s no denying that Nikki Haley’s run for the 2024 U.S. Presidential race is historic. Besides being the first woman of Indian heritage on a Republican Party's Presidential ticket, she's also the daughter of Sikh immigrants from India, making her the most notable non-White, Brown conservative woman to ever enter the race.
A little over a week ago, at Charleston—a port city in South Carolina—Haley kicked off her bid for the 2024 Republican nomination. The former two-time South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador under President Donald Trump started her speech by underscoring her Indian roots. As her parents looked on, she said, “I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants and I am blessed that they are here today.”
In her announcement video, Haley highlighted her heritage as a South Asian woman and touted her hopeful view of what America can offer. "I was the proud daughter of Indian immigrants—not Black, not White. I was different," she says, as the video opens with pictures of her family. Clearly, Haley is using her Indian American background to position herself as someone who can transcend the nation’s traditional White-Black racial divide.
Haley’s parents—Raj Randhawa and Ajit Singh Randhawa—emigrated from Amritsar in the 1960s. The family arrived in Bamberg, a town with a current population of around 3,000. Her father took a position as a biology professor at a local college and her mother taught at a school before opening a successful clothing store. Haley was born in 1972 as Nimarata Nikki Randhawa. Early on, she adopted her middle name ‘Nikki’—which means ‘little one’ in Punjabi—as her first name. Her campaign has brushed off suggestions that by going with the name Nikki, she’s hiding her heritage.
Now, even though Haley is unmistakably proud of her heritage, she is also somewhat reluctant to lean into her identity and background to score political points, and wants to focus her presidential message on her record as Governor of South Carolina and as a UN Ambassador. It’s evident that Haley and her campaign is aware that leaning on identity politics may hurt her as a presidential candidate. In the days ahead, expect the focus to be on her record of results, emphasis on her never having lost an election, and her successful stints as Governor and a top U.S. official at the UN.
Even though Haley is running for President, a few political observers suggest that she might actually make it for the vice presidential spot on the GOP ticket. Some suggest that Haley may be riding the multicultural demographic in America into the Vice-Presidency, much like Kamala Harris in the 2020 presidential race.
“Nikki Haley has, on paper, many qualities and experiences that make her well-suited for higher office. The question is whether the Republican Party of today is ready to anoint her as their candidate, and polls currently suggest otherwise. Even if she were to fall short, a stronger than expected showing in primaries could position her as a vice presidential candidate to round out a Republican ticket in 2024,” said Dhruva Jaishankar, executive director of the Observer Research Foundation America (ORF America).
If President Joe Biden announces a second run, as he has said he will, it's possible that both major political parties in America could simultaneously have a woman on their ticket for the first time. And both would be of Indian descent.
University of Princeton’s Political Scientist LaFleur Stephens-Dougan observes that both Democrats and Republicans are incentivized to field candidates of colour to espouse racially conservative messages that deny the existence of racism. “I find that candidates of colour, who espouse racially conservative messages, typically have more latitude to deliver them as compared to their white counterparts,” LeFluer said.
Not many can deny that Haley is an accomplished politician with real talent, who belongs in the race and makes a good impression on Republican audiences. But, she faces a real challenge from her former boss, as Donald Trump leads a potentially wide Republican field. Haley could further trail if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Former Vice President Mike Pence, and Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo run for President, though they haven’t made their announcements yet.
“I can’t see her winning the Presidential nomination in a party that is so White dominated, but a win candidate could draft her as running mate to project a more diverse Republican Party and appeal to minorities and women,” observed Chidanand Rajghatta, an Indian-born columnist based in Washington, D.C.
The Indian American community makes up only about 1% of the country's population and has produced a handful of powerful political stars. Haley, being one of them, who has a compelling personal story of growing up as the daughter of immigrants from India. At this point, it’s not clear if Haley plans to openly challenge Trump, but Haley has a plan to take down Biden, something that will work for most Trump loyalists.
“Indian American Nikki Haley is very charming, talented and a very experienced Republican candidate. She is capable of garnering support from the vast population of Indian Americans, especially in the battleground states. She is certainly a force to recon with,” said Al Mason, a real estate businessman from New York and a staunch Trump supporter.
Polls and surveys have indicated Indian Americans are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates. But many view Haley's bid for the Republican presidential nomination as an example of the community making an upward political progression. Many relate with people of Indian origin rising to top leadership positions in both of America’s major political parties.
“We’ve seen several examples in the recent past of Indian-American Democrats in high elected offices. Now, Nikki Haley is very visible in the Republican Party, running for the highest political office in the country. The Indian diaspora in the United States will no doubt track her prospects as the presidential election campaign takes its course,” said Sanjeev Joshipura of Indiaspora.
Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, a prominent Indian American, said, “It’s an honour for the Sikh Community to watch Haley run for Presidency. I’m sure, we all are out there to support and campaign for her.”
Even as Haley hits the ground running, she has a new challenger—a fellow Indian American tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also vying for the top Republican ticket.
Haley has to walk the tightrope here—one where she highlights the importance of her heritage, a tactic Democrats are known for employing as they push their party’s diversity, without overplaying her hand at what Republicans will often label as “identity politics”.
Reena Bhardwaj is an independent journalist based out of Washington DC.
The views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of BQ Prime or its editorial team.
