TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Hi. I'm Neha Dewan. Hi. I'm Sonjui Kumar. We are South Asians for Harris, and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing.

My name is Abhay Dandekar, and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It's informal and informative, adding insights to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say trust me, I know what I'm doing. You know, with the election upon us here in the US, these next few weeks on trust me, I know what I'm doing, we're sharing a series of LOTUS for POTUS conversations, hearing insights from leading edge voices to help inform and get out the vote. A few months ago, I created a meme with a photo of vice president Harris that went, in Sanskrit, Kamala means lotus. In America, Kamala means potus.

And for me and many others, that sentiment sums up the imperative choice we're making at the highest level, being thoughtful about our past, present, and future. Now a big part of amplifying our voice for more representation in 2024 comes from engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian American community to show up and frankly be heard through our vote. And especially with our growing significance in the past several elections, South Asians for Harris has been accelerating, strategizing, coalition building, and supporting voters as a national grassroots and volunteer organization dedicated to securing a victory for Kamala Harris. So it was terrific to share a conversation together with Neha Dewan, co national director for South Asians for Harris, and Sonjui Kumar, national legal director for South Asians for Harris. Neha is an attorney with a wealth of experiences who has long been active in politics and advocacy for the South Asian community at both the local and national level.

And Sanjui is also an attorney, a former president of the South Asian Bar Association of North America, and a key leader and organizer in the Georgia South Asian community. They both, along with many, many other leaders, have been tirelessly working to build and grow the effort to help voters register, combat disinformation, get resources out there in many languages, and strengthen collaboration among other voter blocks. Whether canvassing or rallying or phone banking or cultivating relationships, the movement has been gaining support and momentum and still, of course, has much, much work to do. I caught up recently with Neha and Sonjui as we hit the home stretch here and about the work that's in front of all of us, but I also wanted to quickly reflect on the exciting and transformative whirlwind that the Harris campaign has already been. And so I asked them both, when reflecting on the past few months and thinking of what's ahead, what words came to mind to describe it all?

Here's Neha first.

I mean, I think I would say two: So it's hectic and exhilarating, right, at the same time. So Yeah. Yeah.

Sanjui, how about you? Just happy and whirlwind, like, just one thing after the next, which is good. And by the way, it's for us in Georgia, it's October 15th. So we're like, it's that's when it all counts. And we're actually telling everybody to vote on day 1, 2, 3 so that we get, like, an onslaught of voting.

You know? Yeah. These intimidation tactics.

Well, happy and hectic and, exhilarating and all those words and adjectives that go into all of this and and especially with voting underway and about to get, going in so many different states. You both have had such a front row seat to all of this, right, you know, to working and organizing and building community and coalitions to mobilize, so much.

And so specifically now with Kamala Harris and this sort of historic candidacy, Are you both sensing any different energy particularly and and or sort of maybe even, a resonance as it relates back to all of our communities? And, Sonjui, maybe I would I'd love to hear from you first, particularly from the vantage point you just mentioned, which is, you know, in such an important state like Georgia. So definitely from the young people. So the youth are they're back in. You know?

We were having a hard time engaging them, you know, both in this state and just even nationally, the work that, you know, we do with South Asians for Harris, and then they were knocking our doors, you know, after July 21. And so that energy has been palpable and new. Then I would say even just amongst an older the rest of the population, just not having the same old race again. You know, like, we have been doing this, it seems like, forever. So just a new race.

And, she's you know, of course, we know her and love her because we've you know, she's part of us and we've known her so long. I love when people get to hear her for the first time. Like, Naya and I got to sit next to each other at the DNC. Mhmm. And, you know, coming home and having people say, she's really smart, and she really knows what she's talking about.

Like, yeah. You know, we try not to be condescending. Right. We've known all that. Welcome to the family.

But, you know and Neha, it's important to remind people of that. Right? So, like, I mean, when I think when you think about the energy that's different or whether it's young people or old people, is there something that resonates a little bit differently right now even though, you know, you know her so well and perhaps both of you have had this? But, Neha, for you, how does this resonate maybe a little bit differently? So for me, personally, I mean, it's interesting.

So Sonjui had given me this painting of Kamala that I brought home, and I showed that to my 2 year old. Then I said, you know, who does she look like? And she said, mommy. And I was like, well, you know, she's a 2 year old. What does she know?

And then I showed her a picture of somebody who's white, and I said, who does she look like? And she was just kind of, like, quiet. Right? So I was like, okay. Well, she's kind of knows what she's talking about.

When I went to my 5 year old, and I said, who does she look like? And she's like, that's that's mommy. That's your picture. So for me, that just says a lot because I've been in this space for a decade and a half, and to be here today is great. And I think people are really sensing that, The sense of belonging, also fresh perspective, glass ceiling.

I mean, there's just so many different things that connect to so many different people. And my daughter about 20 years older than they are. I have 30 year olds who were completely disengaged with this election, and they are progressive active people. Like, they are I mean, one is a public you know, is like a criminal justice lawyer. The other one is in a climate space.

I mean, these are not these are not quiet women, and they were just totally disengaged. And then I got watch them just jump in, you know, with a different energy. You know, whether they're 2 or 5 year olds who maybe can't vote but can certainly, you know, get a lot of incredible representation and it resonates for them on a more heart based level. And then, you know, your daughters, Sanjuy, who are in a space where they're actually doing a lot of important work, but perhaps had the apathy piece that was there. I I'm curious for both of you now because there's a big voter block that we don't always, you know, look at, and that's for seniors.

Seniors in our community, how do you think the energy has perhaps, you know, changed, or has the calculus, or message changed, at all that you think, especially from what you're hearing from people? So I maybe am closer to the senior community than they are. I didn't wanna mention any of that, for sure. That means a lot of fun, by the way, Abe. If you ever meet her in person, she's a ton of fun, but, you know, go ahead, Sanjay.

Good. I also have an 85 year old mother who I take care of, lives across the street, who moved from New Jersey, like a very, you know, nonconservative state to Georgia. And I mean, my mom is engaged. Like, her friends are engaged. She's wearing her Harris Wall's pin in her senior living.

And I think even our friends who are, like, in their late sixties seventies you know, I think things like democracy and voting rights and reproductive, rights and gun violence, I mean, I think they span generations. You know, I think you're of a certain mindset. If you're of a progressive liberal bent, like, that makes sense to you. But even if you are conservative, those types of issues, they're just they're barrier breaking. We've had several of our you know, so the South Asian men, like, they vote taxes.

Right? We all know that. They vote for their own wallet even though they, like, are the last people that need to vote for their wallet, but they do. And those people, like, anecdotally are telling me they are not voting Trump this time. Mhmm.

So I'm taking a lot of, you know, heart in that because these are quiet people. These are not people that are telling everybody. Of course, they tell me because they, you know, they know they're on the outs with me, so they wanna get back in. So they're letting me know. Yeah.

But that 's it's heartening. I think it's a change. Definitely, it's Neha, what about you as far as resonance and energy with different age groups? Yeah. I mean, I think if you're looking at that, cohort that you just mentioned, I mean, there's a sense of belonging.

Right? So, like, you have the 1st generation who, you know, have come here, sort of put their head down and kind of done their work and, you know, just moved along, just never had identity. And now you're actually seeing some level of identity. And this is not just identity. It's also policies, and there's also this level of decency.

Right? It's like how do we regardless of whether it's our wallet or not, it's like how do you have? First of all, how is it even this close between a convicted felon and a prosecutor? But I think those things also play into it. Right?

So there's a lot of different, aspects to this. But, yeah, I mean, I think they're also really excited, and I think that the part that's really heartening is that this relational organization piece. Right? Mhmm. So they will say, okay.

I'm gonna big bring 5 people. You bring 5 people. You bring 5 people. And that's this Vodafone that you can really count on to do that. But they're very energized in a different way.

No. And I love that. Right? I mean, there's so much that binds us in our community, and it's a good reminder that these are American issues. They're not specifically for identity, and and they really just do link us all together no matter no matter what sort of political spin we've had in the past.

Neha, I'm curious for you particularly. One issue we're always facing, and you just mentioned it with, like, sort of they tell 5 people and they tell 5 people is how we combat disinformation. So, you know, when it comes to, to this, are there tools and tips that you have so that people can kind of educate and empower and and really help themselves to dampen and counter misinformation, which unfortunately in our WhatsApp communities just, you know, seems to spread like wildfire sometimes. Yeah. So one of the things that we specifically had done in 2020, which we're replicating now, is having this rapid response team.

And we are looking at the issues that the campaign wants to put out. In fact, you know, we're the unofficial official sort of arm of the campaign. So we get that feedback from them. We have a rapid response team that creates graphics, and we drop that in the channels that we had back in 2020 that we've established. Right?

These are not new channels. So this is what Facebook, whatever it is. We also then have a rapid response team that is taking a look at project 2025. So it's not just a matter of what her policies are, but what is being put out there and how do we combat that and put that information. The but the the sad reality is that for the majority of Americans, they're just gonna see, you know, these snippets, Fox News or whatever it is that they're putting out.

So part of this is going to be the work that they have to do in terms of research, but it's a community. Right? So if you get something and says, oh, actually, it's not 46.4% unrealized capital gains tax. Here, actually take a look at this and you forward that and forward that. That's what we're hoping to do.

Yeah. And on that same beat, right, there's being able to provide a rapid response and then there's also being able to educate on policy. And, Sonjui, I am so curious. I mean, it's an issue everywhere, but particularly in in swing states, voters are focusing on the economy and they're focusing on immigration, and these are policy platforms that have been outlined by the Harris Waltz campaign. What are some of the ways that that platform speaks specifically maybe to South Asian Americans that you're talking to that really they should be reminded of?

Not necessarily the misinformation, but the information that's out there. Yeah. So on the economy, there's so much to say. And, you know, again, we're doing it more on a relational or basis like the 1 on 1 conversations. But just being ourselves informed enough, you know, to talk about the inflation reduction that has happened and the infrastructure act and, you know, all these things that Biden Harris team did that actually Trump said he was going to do.

And people do get confused. They think that Trump started it. It's like, no. He just talked about it. He actually never did anything about it.

You know, this is something that Biden Harris did. Immigration is an interesting issue because especially, like, in the Indian American community, they're just all complaining about everyone who's waiting and that there's a backlog. Right. So I think the communication on those types of issues for us has been, we just need adults in charge of the government. You know?

Like, these are historical problems that, you know, could have continued. You know? More people from India and China wanna get into this country than we have visas for. But who do you trust to, like, manage backlogs? Who do you trust to have, like, processes that work?

And I think that works in a lot of areas where people are dissatisfied. It's like, yeah, we get it. The world is horrible and it's chaotic, but who do you wanna charge when the world is horrible and chaotic? You want adults who believe in government and believe in the power of government. And so I think that's how we address it.

And people really, I feel like, don't wanna hear details as much as they wanna be assured. Definitely, Kamala Harris was first announced. There was a lot of, like, kind of fear that she's not strong enough. She doesn't have enough experience. And when you tell them, well, she's actually had more experience than any of the 4 people on the ticket.

Like, she has the most out of all 4. And I was I was gonna say, Suntree, you mentioned a important word there. I mean, we've been, you know, referring to this, but that that's the word trust. Right? I mean, so I'm curious for both of you.

Like, in a nutshell, what what leads you to share with the people you meet about why it's important and why should they actually place their trust in the Harris Waltz, ticket and in a Harris Waltz administration? I mean, you you're talking about a a candidate that's, you know, promoting values, American values. Right? You're talking about reproductive rights, family reunification, all of the the all of these different things. We're not talking about sending immigrants back and, shutting down the Department of Education and all of these things.

I mean, you're actually talking about somebody who wants to promote America and work on policies and kind of unite the country. Right? So there's that trust factor. There's a resonance there. And on the other side, I mean, I was just listening to, NPR today where Trump was talking about how Harris didn't work at McDonald's and how he actually his 30 minutes doing cooking fries is more than Harris's.

And I'm like, is that what you wanna be listening to? Is that the kind of president you want? Yeah. Challenging our McDonald's versus the actual policies where she's putting out those policies. She's talking about what it is that she can do for you.

It's a no brainer. The adult in the room is really obvious here, for sure. I mean, I'm gonna say so Neha and I are both lawyers. Kamala Harris is a lawyer. Of course, she's, like, super lawyer being a proxy in AG.

But we're kind of we're trained to tell the truth, you know. And we're trained, like, our licenses are in danger when we lie. And, you know, we, like, part the reason we're, like, made fun of for parsing our words is because we're trying to say them accurately. Mhmm. And kill all the lawyers was a compliment.

You know? Get rid of the people that know what the laws are. So I think I have trust in her. And, of course, we've heard from a whole, you know, troop of bad lawyers that Trump hired, you know, during the election. But by and large, the legal community is a community that, you know, you can trust.

And she's certainly shown that in all the years. You know, she has been out there, like, where are the scandals? You know, where's the mask? Like, she's been in the public eye a long time. Yeah.

It's amazing again, like, how much of a contrast it is. And yet, like you've mentioned, right, people sometimes are not always interested in the details here. And, you know, especially in our South Asian American communities and sort of like the coalitions we build with the Asian community at large, we're not monoliths. We do have quite a bit of diversity in our thought processes, in our languages. And so how have you both been able to sort of embrace that diversity of language and interest and and even differences in a political opinions to help unify around the obvious choice, the adult in the room, the contrast in style and and how trustworthy, a campaign is.

How have you both been able to just sort of, like, help people think around that unifying message irrespective of of what those kind of differences and diversities are? Yeah. So one of the things that we did in 2020 that we've sort of been very, cognizant of this time is, you know, this that the South Asian community is very diverse. Right? Yeah.

We can't just put them into one box and say the issues are the same. But what we've done is very carefully sort of respected those communities and listened to what matters for those communities and then frame our message in such a way that really speaks to that community as well. We've also done translation services, not just in Indian languages. Talk about Urdu and Pashto. Like, who would have thought?

Right? So we we're being very surgical about talking to different communities and offering them guidance in terms of the campaign, but also at the same time, we do have a sense of we are united in a certain way. We do have a common identity. Right? So we can be different, but we can also be we can also be the same.

So when you're speaking to different people in the phone bank and speaking in different languages, you know, that's powerful. You're just not expecting that every South Asian person is Indian, by design. It just sometimes ends up being by default. We're very we we're very, very methodical about who we bring into the community and how it is that we do our grassroots work. I mean, Georgia is a great example.

We have the largest AAPI caucus outside of Hawaii. We actually don't have 1 Indian American in that a API AAPI caucus. They're Bangladeshi. They're Pakistani. You know, we have Korean Americans, Chinese Americans.

And I think what unifies us and what brings us together is to highlight our differences and actually gives us a broader reach because we're reaching into all these communities. You know? India is kind of the big elephant in the room, but, you know, there's lots of communities that that can have influence and that, you know, honestly, if you're gonna state by 11,000 votes, you know, just even like a very small It's a big deal. Yeah. To make a difference.

And so I think what we do very well at South Agents for Harris is make every community feel important, seen, and heard, and give them their proper place in the diaspora. And, you know, the reason we work so well with AAPI communities, they're the same. Like, Chinese and Koreans and Taiwanese, like, they have nothing you know, culturally, they're not that connected. You know? Yeah.

But in the US, they are because we're together and we're the 4% in, you know, some some states and 11% in other states that are gonna make a difference. I know it's so important to be both surgically precise in a way and yet be so inclusive and make sure that there's a lot of empathy in listening to people's stories. I know we only have a moment or 2 left, but, you know, for those people who are just getting to learn about Kamala Harris, for the first time, they're they're just getting in and getting involved and, again, kind of rediscovering themselves in the political process after perhaps some apathy. What's your quick message to to folks who are newly, getting into this? Yeah.

I mean, I would say, you know, it's great. Get involved, but make sure it's not just you. Right? Like, it's bring other people. A blues people say, well, blue states don't matter.

No. Absolutely not. People know folks in battleground states. Bring other people to this and make sure that they vote. It's not just register to vote.

It's that they're actually voting, and it's great. It's like soak up this energy and see what civic engagement is and and follow through with it and see. It's a movement. And not just a movement now, but be engaged in the future. So this is great.

This is just the beginning for these folks. Yeah. I'm gonna say if you have any doubts about Kamala Harris, see what she's been able to do in 2 months. Who else anywhere? Forget parties.

Like, who else can pull this together when she didn't even know till Sunday afternoon that she was gonna be the candidate? By the time of the DNC have this outpouring and enthusiasm in that room, I mean, that is a sign of her competence and a sign of her team's competence and what we can expect in a Harris Wells government. Just even the pick of Tim Wells is so, in my mind, brilliant. Like, I never even knew the guy's name till he was you know? And here we are.

We're, like, so engaged. I've never heard of him. You know? Our some of our you know, of course, some of our colleagues had, you know, because Minnesota. But, but we had it, and, you know, now he's like everybody's best friend.

So Yeah. I mean, competence in all the decisions is, like, really we would have been with her, but it would have been harder if things were not going as well as they are. And and if I could just add to that, one thing is from I've heard from a lot of people, it's like, oh my goodness. She's so great or whatever, but, you know, the the races are still, you know, very, very tight in these battleground states. What does that say about her?

That actually says a lot about her. She's been only around for 60 days. Trump was there for 4 years, and he's been around since the primaries, and it's a tight race. So that's just a matter of fact. 9 in Georgia 2 months ago.

Now it's neck and neck. So I think you're so right. It's amazing. Right? It's astonishing that it's been 2 months and, you know, yes, it's tight, but there's a lot of momentum building and lot of both gravitas of being the adults in the room, but also the joy of what's to come.

Neha, Sonjui, thank you so much for joining us for, a really a treat of a conversation, and thanks for all you're doing. Thank you so much. Thanks for all you're doing. Thank you. Thanks so much.

Remember, conversation is truly the antidote to apathy. Now this is all in the show notes, but I'll share it here too. Go to I will vote.com for information about resources, to southasiansforharris2024.org, and to kamalaharris.com to learn about the Harris waltz campaign. Please get involved, get engaged, and get informed about all your local issues and candidates up and down the ballot. Till next time.

I'm Abhay Dandekar