Washington: Having doubled its population in
the last decade, Indian-Americans have emerged as a powerful
political group in the US that the Republican and the
Democratic parties cannot ignore in a presidential election
year.
According to 2010 census, more than 11.54 lakh Indian-
Americans are eligible to vote as against 5.76 lakhs in 2000,
said a report released by two American NGOs -- South Asian
Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and Asian American
Federation (AAF).
Between 2000 and 2010, the South Asian American
population became the fastest growing major ethnic group in
the US and has emerged in new areas of the country, the report
said, adding that overall the South Asians of voting age
increased between 100 per cent to 414 per cent, the report
said as President Barack Obama makes his reelection bid in
November against the Republicans.
Indians comprise the largest segment of the South Asian
community, making up over 80 per cent of the total population,
followed by Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalis,
and Bhutanese.
It is estimated that at least 66,000 Indo-Caribbeans live
in the US. The population of Indian-American (single
ethnicity) have increased by 69 per cent from 16.78 lakhs in
2000 to 28.43 lakhs in 2010.
During the same period, the population of Indian-
Americans (single and multiple ethnicities) increased from
18.99 lakhs to 31.83 lakhs.
According to the report, the population of eligible
Pakistani-American voters increased from 52,755 to 1.61 lakhs
(an increase of 205 per cent).
"With the 2012 elections underway, there has been an
increase in the number of South Asians of voting age in the
United States since 2000," according to the report by SAALT
and AAF, which said it was based on the figures of 2010
population.
PTI
