Indiaspora Welcomes President Biden’s Nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for U.S. Ambassador to India

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Press Release

Indiaspora welcomes President Biden’s Nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for U.S. Ambassador to India 

Mayor Garcetti’s close political ties to President Biden and his experience in the national and international arenas present a welcome opportunity for the diaspora to work together to continue bridging US-India ties

San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC  — July 9, 2021  — Indiaspora, a nonprofit organization of global Indian diaspora leaders, expressed enthusiasm Wednesday for the Biden administration’s announcement of the nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to the post of U.S Ambassador to India.As the Mayor of Los Angeles, the United States’ second largest city, Garcetti would bring valuable political and administrative experience to the role. A close political confidante of President Biden who served as a Co-chair of his campaign in 2020, Garcetti also would have the President’s ear.“We are excited that President Biden has nominated a reputed leader who has proven himself on several fronts,” said founder of Indiaspora MR Rangaswami, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and investor, about Garcetti’s nomination. “It speaks volumes to the importance of the U.S.-India relationship that a close and trusted ally of President Biden may be America’s point person in Delhi.”Garcetti has a range of international experience, having lived and worked in Asia as well as Europe and Africa. A Rhodes’ Scholar, he  appointed Los Angeles' first Deputy Mayor for International Affairs, expanding L.A.'s global ties to bring more jobs, economic opportunity, culture, education, and visitors to the city, according to Los Angeles’ government website.“Mayor Garcetti recognizes the importance of international cooperation and how to bring different actors together on the world stage,” said Executive Director of Indiaspora Sanjeev Joshipura, speaking to Garcetti’s accomplishments as Mayor of Los Angeles, which include bringing the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to the United States for the first time in more than 30 years, as well as leading an effort of more than 400 fellow mayors across America to adopt the Paris Climate agreement.“We appreciate the administration’s recent recognition of Indiaspora’s, and more broadly, the diaspora’s role in serving as a bridge between the U.S. and India. The diaspora’s importance in this regard is only poised to grow, and we enthusiastically welcome President Biden’s nomination of Mayor Garcetti to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to India,” said Joshipura.About IndiasporaIndiaspora (www.indiaspora.org) is a nonprofit community of powerful global Indian leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the diaspora to be a force for positive impact by providing a platform to collaborate, engage, and catalyze social change.

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Indiaspora participates in U.S. State Department discussion on diaspora response to India's COVID-19 pandemic

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Following a message from Vice President Harris thanking the Indian diaspora, Indiaspora participated in a State Department-hosted discussion on the diaspora response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India

Indiaspora Founder MR Rangaswami discussed strong American response through giving and their ChaloGive campaign

PRESS RELEASE

San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC  — May 7, 2021  — Following remarks from Vice President Harris on the United States’ strong partnership with India, Silicon Valley angel investor and entrepreneur MR Rangaswami, who founded Indiaspora, a nonprofit community of global Indian diaspora leaders, spoke about the outpouring of support from the Indian diaspora toward India’s COVID-19 relief efforts during a discussion hosted by the State Department.“The message from the Vice President about the strong and long-standing U.S.-India partnership was a reaffirming one, and we are humbled by her acknowledgement of how Indiaspora has played a critical role,” said Executive Director of Indiaspora Sanjeev Joshipura. “During a time when people are hurting, the message was clear that the United States, along with its Indian diaspora, will continue to stand with India.”Following Vice President Harris’s remarks, Indiaspora Founder MR Rangaswami spoke about the diaspora and the broader American community’s unprecedented response to India’s COVID-19 pandemic during a panel discussion hosted by the U.S. State Department, “Bolstering U.S. COVID Relief Efforts in India: Perspectives from the Diaspora,” with fellow diaspora leaders. “One of our biggest focus areas for Indiaspora is philanthropy. When COVID-19 first hit, we started a campaign called ChaloGive. This has hit everyone on a personal basis. I’m treating this as a personal emergency as well as a call to action,” said MR Rangaswami, who lost his sister to COVID-19 a few months ago. “We are grateful to the U.S. government, to the diaspora, and to the greater American community for stepping up during this time.”Moderated by the U.S. State Department’s South and Central Asia Senior Bureau Official, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ervin Massinga, the panel discussion also included the following speakers: Honorable State Senator Dr. Ghazala Hashmi of Virginia; Gunisha Kaur, Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, Medical Director, Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights; and Lata Krishnan, American Indian Foundation Founder and Co-Chair of the Board. In addition to remarks from Vice President Harris, the USAID's Deputy Assistant Administrator Anjali Kaur also offered remarks about USAID's contributions to the relief efforts. Indiaspora officially launched their giving platform ChaloGive.org May 3rd as a grassroots initiative for the public to donate to COVID-19 relief efforts in India after Indiaspora served as a $1 million matching partner for the high-profile fundraiser, HELP INDIA BREATHE, organized by author and podcast host Jay Shetty.The ChaloGive for India campaign facilitates giving by the global diaspora toward on-the-ground NGOs working in three areas of COVID-19 relief: the creation of urgently needed COVID care centers and makeshift hospitals through nonprofit WISH Foundation, direct cash transfer to families who have lost a primary earning member through nonprofit GiveIndia, and food relief and livelihood assistance for migrant workers and other underserved populations through EdelGive Foundation to nonprofits Goonj and Jan Sahas.Donors from anywhere in the world can either choose one area to donate to, or make a contribution that will be evenly split between all three areas. U.S. donors also receive a tax exemption.Visit ChaloGive.org for additional information and resources.About ChaloGive:Indiaspora launched its inaugural ChaloGive giving campaign in October 2019 to encourage higher levels of giving by the diaspora by partnering with more than 20 India-based NGOs, several of which are part of the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA). Indiaspora launched its second campaign, ChaloGive for COVID-19 in April 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis to alleviate food insecurity in both the U.S. and India by partnering with nonprofits Feeding America and Goonj, respectively.About Indiaspora:Indiaspora (www.indiaspora.org) is a nonprofit community of powerful global Indian leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the diaspora to be a force for positive impact by providing a platform to collaborate, engage, and catalyze social change. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:Mansi PatelIndiasporaDirector of Communicationsmansi@indiaspora.org(772) 486-0351

“The Invisible Indian": A Study of Poverty in the Indian American Population

RELEASE DATE OCTOBER 1, 2020 at 8 pm U.S. Eastern Time

Press Release

An estimated 6.5 percent of Indian diaspora live in poverty, according to  “The Invisible Indian,” a new report from Indiaspora and researchers at Johns Hopkins’ Paul Nitze School of Advanced International StudiesThe majority of the United States’ 4.2 million Indian Americans are thriving, but the COVID pandemic may drive the percentage of the Indian diaspora living in poverty to as high as 10.1 percent.San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC  — October 1, 2020  — Indiaspora, a nonprofit organization of global Indian diaspora leaders from various backgrounds and professions, released today at their Indiaspora Philanthropy Summit 2020, “A Study of Poverty in the Indian American Population,” with researchers Devesh Kapur and Jashan Bajwaat of Johns Hopkins’ Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies that focuses on the underprivileged Indian diaspora in the U.S.While the Indian diaspora are one of the most affluent ethnic minorities in the U.S., with a median income of $120,000, nearly double that of the average U.S. household, a look into the U.S. Census data found about 250,000 of the 4.2 million Indian Americans in the U.S. live below the poverty line.“With this report, we wanted to draw attention to the plight of the most underprivileged Indian Americans,” said MR Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora. "With COVID-19 wreaking health and economic havoc, this is an appropriate moment to raise awareness and discuss the issue of poverty that exists in our otherwise affluent community. We hope that the report will lead to an increased focus on this topic, followed by targeted measures to make a positive difference."While the study provides a detailed analysis of the impoverished populations of the Indian American community, Indian Americans are still less likely to be living in poverty compared to white, Black and Hispanic Americans. While poverty in the U.S. overall declined from 15.1 percent in 2010 to 11.8 percent in 2018, Indian American households experienced a decline from 9 percent to 6.5 percent in 2018. "This report unveils the specific characteristics of impoverished Indian Americans. In 2018, 6.5% of Indian American households were living below the poverty line. Their place of residence overlapped with areas where higher numbers of unauthorized Indian American immigrants reside,” said Devesh Kapur, Director of Asia Programs and Starr Foundation Professor of South Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. “The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to increase poverty among Indian Americans by between a quarter and half, depending on the duration and intensity of the health and economic shocks.”The report also details a large percentage of impoverished Indian Americans are not in the labor force, with four-fifths of this group being undocumented. In addition, the study found underprivileged Indian Americans live in the same states as other more affluent Indian diaspora in the U.S. who live above the poverty line. By identifying the demographics, vulnerabilities, cultural links, and geographies of the Indian diaspora living in poverty, specific strategies can be developed to mitigate the risks faced by these “Invisible Indians”.Indiaspora (www.indiaspora.org) is a nonprofit organization established to transform the success of the Indian diaspora into meaningful impact worldwide. Their members form a powerful network of global leaders who are committed to building stronger communities with a culture of giving and inspiring social change.

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CONTACT: Mansi Patel

Senior Communications and Outreach Manager. Indiaspora

mansi@indiaspora.org

cell: 772-486-0351