We chat with Mayank Chhaya, Chicago-based veteran chronicler of the Indian diaspora, on Kamala Harris’s appeal and chances in the upcoming Nov 5 US presidential election.
Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' senior columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.
In this episode, Ravi speaks with the veteran journalist, author and broadcaster Mayank Chhaya, a former staffer with India Post in California and India Abroad, New York, on the rise in US politics of Americans with Indian heritage, including presidential hopeful Kamala Harris and Nikki Haley, who challenged Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
They discuss Ms Harris’s racial identity, her chances of victory, and whether America is heading toward being a post-race society.
Mr Chhaya also comments on prominent Indian-Americans in the business field, including the heads of Microsoft, Google, IBM and YouTube, and why Indians seem to be doing so well in many facets of American life.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:30 Black, or Indian? ‘Harris has blended well’
6:50 Trump’s ‘just a bit younger’ than Kamala’s father
8:40 Could America see a ‘whitelash’?
10:40 A lengthening list: Usha Vance, Nikki Haley, Ro Khanna…
13:00 Judiciary, tech to pharma, “Indian Americans are everywhere”
16:00 Secret sauce behind Indian-Americans’ success
17:50 The Modi effect
Produced by: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) and Fa’izah Sani
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Follow Speaking Of Asia Podcast every second Friday of the month here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Ravi Velloor's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP
Ravi Velloor on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#STAsianInsider