Indian Gen Z men in US are ditching desi Kamala. This is why

As Indian-American voters queue up to vote in the crucial November 5 US presidential election, one would have expected them to support Kamala Harris, who has Indian roots, overwhelmingly. But this might not be the case. And if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins an election that is expected to see a photo finish, he will have one segment of desi voters to thank — the young Indian-American men.
Though just 1.5% of the voting population, Indian-Americans punch way above their weight. It is also a fast-growing, influential voting community.
Though the US presidential election has turned out to be battle of the sexes, a cohort of Indian-origin Americans, once considered loyal Democrat voters, have surprisingly turned pro-Trumpers.
The second-generation Americans now want to prosper, and see Trump as a better enabler than Harris. It is also true that affluence brings in conservative traits.
The Trump campaign realised this and went all out to reach out to the young Indian-American men. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, is seen as identifying more as a Black than Brown.
From appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemning the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, Trump has done it all. He has also discussed his Texas ‘Howdy Modi’ rally in a podcast. It is to reach out to the desi community and tell them he has their back.
While PM Modi backed Trump in the 2020 election, he hasn’t expressed any strong support for Harris, whose mother immigrated to the US from a village in Tamil Nadu.
The Trump-Modi affinity has made many young Indian-Americans believe that a Trump administration would be good for the India-US relationship. Apart from their country of residence, Indian-origin people abroad also draw their strength from a strong and stable leadership in India.
“Modi (India), he’s a friend of mine and also the nicest human being. Before him being appointed as the Prime Minister, India was very unstable. On the outside, he looks like he’s your father. He is the nicest and a total killer,” said Trump in the podcast, Flagrant 2.
The campaign knew that this message was to reach the young desi men in the US.
That many Indian-origin men have seen Trump on their favourite podcasts by Theon Von, Lex Friedman, Flagrant 2 and Joe Rogan in the US elections 2024 is a bonus.
This was strategic and planned. The man behind it is Trump’s Gen Z son — Barron Trump.
There is a reason why the Trump campaign is targeting young men in the desi community.
Increasingly, younger men in the US feel that the world is changing too rapidly, and they are uncertain about their economic and social status. A Trump campaign followed by a victory would result in assurance of the status quo for these men.
But there is more to it.
Traditionally, Indian-Americans have been Democrat voters. But younger men from the community are increasingly supporting Republican Trump.
Trump has received the attention of young sections of Indian-American men, Hispanic men and even black men for this reason.
This was carried through a deliberate campaign.
“These people we want to mobilise, where there’s really a high return on investment for us, are not super-political folks,” a Trump campaign member told Time Magazine. “It is data-driven,” they added.
The Trump campaign is also trying to win the numbers game. While Indian-origin women support Harris, more desi men are inclined to vote for Trump.
Indian Americans are only 1.5% of the US population, but they increased in numbers by more than 50% between the 2010 and 2020 censuses.
Trump has found most support in desi men.
In people below the age of 40, 60% of women of Indian-American origin said that they would vote for Harris, while men were divided in half-and-half over their vote for Trump and Harris, according to the Indian American Attitudes Survey.
In all age groups, only 22% of Indian-American women said that they intend to vote for Trump, over 39% of the men stated how they would vote for Trump.
The desi men’s support for Trump is also visible on X.
“You’re in a locality called mini-India and most of us have come here legally. We are working, we are hard-working people. We are qualified, and we literally slog our asses to come here. I know my own process, it took me five years to complete the documentation, prepare my cases, and I am a triple degree holder. We can see when things are good vs bad. There are many problems which did not exist when Trump was there. But we see them now,” an Indian-origin man tells Nate Friedman, a political commentary video maker on X.
“I do not want the constitution. I will vote for Trump,” wrote an Indian-American voter on X.
“Every man I spoke to in New Jersey is voting for Trump,” wrote another.
This trend has several reasons.
While older men and women who were first-generation immigrants had more to fear from Trump’s immigration policies, second-generation Indian-Americans, especially young men, aim to reaffirm their social and economic status in a changing world.
The median family earnings of Indians in the US is $123,700 and 79% of college graduates have also crossed the US population in college education and wealth, according to a New York Times report.
The desi community in the US is now looking for avenues to prosper.
According to the Indian American Attitudes Survey, the top-three concerns of desi voters are inflation, abortion and jobs. Immigration comes fourth on the list.
More young men from the community feel the Trump administration is better-equipped to handle inflation, jobs and immigration.
They also think that they have more to gain from the economic policies and social stances of Trump.
While women lean towards Harris, several Indian-origin men more likely felt that Democrats are weak on immigration and are “too influenced by the extreme left” and are “too focused on identity politics”.
According to research and experts, the promise of economic prosperity added to better India-US relations, has made desi men lean towards Trump.
The Trump campaign has also reached out to conservative non-decided voters who are more likely to vote for Trump.
This is also because now many young male voters think women have it easier.
A survey from the Survey Centre on American Life stated that 19% of men say that women have it easier than men in the US. Men aged 18-29 are twice as likely to believe this.
As for Indian-origin, men want to preserve conservative values and do not wish for a victory of the leftist forces, according to the Attitudes survey.
Finally, the US elections have become progressive vs conservative values and Indian-origin men want to preserve conservative values. They also believe that the Trump administration might lead to better economic opportunities for their community.
The perceived drifting away of Kamala Harris from the Indian community and the belief that a Trump administration would better-serve their interests is what is making Gen Z Indian male voters ditch desi Kamala.