Though they excel in their chosen fields, South Asians tend to ‘play it safe’ when it comes to running for public office, says Harbir Kaur Bhatia – who is running for a seat on the Santa Clara City Council.  They tend not to venture outside of their chosen professions and engage in the hardscrabble demands of a political campaign.  As a result, minority voices have long been missing from the civic discourse of the communities they live in.

But that’s changing with the next generation of South Asians says Bhatia, especially when they see political contenders – whether at local state or federal level- who look like them or share their ethnic identity.

Bhatia – a community organizer, engineer, civic entrepreneur and longtime resident of the City of Santa Clara ,who is commited to IK Onkar,  the central message of Sikhi, tells DesiCollective why she’s challenging the status quo in District 1 of the Santa Clara City Council.

This story is the second in our series on conversation with candidates – SHORT TAKES for India Currents – where first time contenders for political office share their aspirations and plans with our community!

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SHORT TAKES/DesiCollective: South Asians are Running for Political Office

Short Takes: Belal Aftab in Saratoga

Short Takes: Sri Muppidi in Dublin

Short Takes: Kuljeet Kalkat in Los Altos

Short Takes: Ajit Varma in Palo Alto

Short Takes: Sumiti Mehta in Natomas

Meera Kymal is the Managing Editor at India Currents and Founder/Producer at desicollective.media. She produces multi-platform content on the South Asian diaspora through the lens of social justice,...

Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney is the Donor Engagement Advisor at India Currents and Founder/Producer at desicollective.media. She brings her passion for community journalism and experience in fundraising, having...