by contributor Wendy Gordon
In the event any of you have been unconscious, holed up on some tarmac with no electronic device access or perhaps stuck in a tunnel somewhere grasping your purple ticket, you know that this weekend is Inauguration, 2013. It’s one f the great American political celebrations. So of course among the first of the glamorous, politico studded inaugural balls was all about India. Yes.
Let’s face it, DC is a diversely international town (if you don’t believe us, simply take a stroll up Embassy Row for starters); America is nothing if not a melting pot, and there is such a thing as cultural contributions, international trade, monetary issues, etc. etc. So it’s no surprise that among the first inaugural balls on Friday was Indiaspora’s.
Inadiaspora is a new organization that aims to be a catalyst to transform the success of Indian Americans into meaningful impact in India and on the global stage. The event was a colorful celebration designed to celebrate the second term of President Obama and the achievements of the 3-million-member-strong Indian American community.
“We started as a community based effort to get all parts of our community together—from the academics, the NGOs the business people, the artist, and now this has ended up being a celebration of our community which make up over 1% of the US population. We’ve never done a ball in DC for any President, so this is a historic occasion,” Indiaspora founder M.R. Rangaswami said. “We would like to see a strategic partnership with America undertaken with India which would include cultural, business and defense initiatives, all part of a comprehensive package.”
While others may have supped n rubber chicken and cold pigs in blankets, this event featured fabulous ethnic food created by Food Network’s Maneet Chauhan. While others were awash is a sea of red, white and blue, this event was fuschia and purple and teal with brilliant orange, yellow and sparkling jewels. While others were foxtrotting, we were enjoying Bollywood style dancing. We love you Texas chili and two step, but this is far more unique and a treat for the senses.
As for political attendees—hey, it’s inaugural season. A bevy of Reps, Governors including Maryland’s Martin O’Malley (D-MD) and Jack Martell (D-DE) were in attendance. Ambassadors abounded. This year saw the election of the first Indian representative to congress, Dr. Ami Bera (D-CA), who was among the spectacularly colorful, and we mean that literally, guests of the evening. Representative Bera, dressed in a very Cali violet velvet tux jacket (we loved it), recalled his first day on The Hill and its meaning. “I remember walking onto the House Floor and looking up at my father in the gallery with a huge smile on his face—he immigrated here in the 1950’s, and thinking, this is not our victory, this is the community’s victory.”
We love the American dream. That, among other more political issues, ultimately, is what it’s all about.
