The GOP presidential candidate’s take on his Indian American identity.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announcement on June 24 that he was running for President of the United States triggered a debate on his Indian American identity. On the social media, his announcement resulted in a deluge of scathing jokes and critiques of his position.
Over the years, the Republican has been criticized for downplaying and rejecting his ethnic identity. Here are some of Jindal’s statements on ethnicity and race that have been interpreted as denouncement of his heritage.
Jindal while launching his campaign on June 24, 2015:
And I’m done with all this talk about hyphenated Americans. We are not Indian-Americans, Irish – Americans, African– Americans, rich Americans, or poor Americans – we are all Americans.
Jindal in a speech at the Henry Jackson Society in London on January 19, 2015:
My dad and mum told me and my brother when we were growing up that we came to America to be Americans, not Indian Americans, but simply Americans. If we wanted to be Indians, we would have stayed in India.
Jindal in a Politico column titled The end of race, published on August 25, 2013:
We live in the age of hyphenated Americans: Asian-Americans, Italian-Americans, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, Indian-Americans, and Native Americans, to name just a few.
Here’s an idea: How about just “Americans?” That has a nice ring to it, if you ask me. Placing undue emphasis on our “separateness” is a step backward. Bring back the melting pot.
There is nothing wrong with people being proud of their different heritages. We have a long tradition of folks from all different backgrounds incorporating their traditions into the American experience, but we must resist the politically correct trend of changing the melting pot into a salad bowl. E pluribus Unum.
Jindal and his wife, Supriya, in an interview with Morley Safer on 60 Minutes aired in February 2009.
Morley Safer: Does your family maintain any of the Indian traditions?
Supriya Jindal: Not too many…
Bobby Jindal: They have been here so many years that…
Supriya Jindal: …that we sort of adapted, we were raised as Americans, we were raised as Louisianans. So that’s how we live our lives.
2 Comments
He’s an American, what’s your point?
It is not a good etiquette, to ask any one, as to where he or she is from? but trying to conceal ethnic identity is an insult and slight to one’s own mother. I am sure his parents told him to assimilate in the society and be American when you live in America, but I don’t think any parent, would tell their children to forget their roots.
Bobby “Piyush” Jindal, is a very confused ABCD (American Born Confused Desi!). He is like another confused man, over four hundred years ago – Cristoforo Columbo- who also didn’t know where he was going, when he got there, he didn’t know where he was and when he got back, he didn’t know where he had been. At least he is credited for discovering America but Bobby Jindal is a disgrace to the Indian Americans. He is born loser. His election as a governor was a fluke, This guy is No Obama. However to his credit, he is well qualified to drive a Uber cab.