s Generation Xers, sons
of immigrants and
freshmen lawmakers
on Capitol Hill, Reps.
Raja Krishnamoorthi
(D-Ill.) and Thomas
Suozzi (D-N. Y.) have one more
common thread: the commit-
ment they said they have to fight
discrimination against Indian-
Americans in a challenging land-
scape of xenophobia, bigotry
and hate.
At the recent American
Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin convention in
Atlantic City, the lawmakers
said, “you are just as American,”
whether in the U.S. for five years
or five generations.
Addressing outgoing AAPI
president Dr. Ajay Lodha direct-
ly, Krishnamoorthi said, “You,
like my family, you came to this
country with nothing in your
pockets—nothing but your val-
ues, your culture, your educa-
tion, and your work ethic…. You
are a success in the greatest
country the world has ever
known, the United States of
America.”
And, he said, the more than
1,500 delegates and their fami-
lies at the convention were “the
pride of one of the greatest civi-
lizations the world has ever
known—India.”
Krishnamoorthi assured
attendees that although his
Chicago district might not be
their hometown, “I represent
you in the United States
Congress. I represent your val-
ues, I represent your aspirations,
I represent your hopes and your
dreams and everything that is
good and great and just and
decent about you and your fami-
ly and your value system….I am
proud of my heritage and I am
proud of you.”
Krishnamoorthi declared, “I
am so proud of you, you are my
heroes,” and went on to say that
“I am proud to be Indian
American, I am proud of my reli-
gion, I am proud of my culture, I
am proud of my heritage, and I
am proud of you.”
Suozzi, who said he was first
generation Italian-American,
spoke of how his parents and
other Italian immigrants faced
discrimination. “My father
throughout his life had to fight
against this discrimination to
become one of the most respect-
ed people of our community.”
His father, he said, was the
first one in the family to go to
college “and then he fought in
World War II and he got the
Distinguished Flying Cross as a
navigator of the B- 24. And he
came home from
the war and he
went to Harvard
Law School on the
GI Bill.”
Suozzi told lis-
teners that Indians
are caught up in that same chal-
lenge today as well “because
Indians speak differently or have
an accent or their names are
more difficult to pro-
nounce.”
Suozzi, who serves
on both the House
Foreign Affairs
Committee and the
Armed Services
Committee, said, “You are just
as American whether you’ve
been here for five years or for
five generations—that’s what’s
beautiful about this country.”
He spoke of the “very highest
achievements” of the Indian-
American community.
“I know that in my hometown of Nassau County, and
Long Island and New York and
throughout the country, you
make this country so much better because of what Raja talked
about—because of the way you
have a respect for family and for
education,” he said.
Suozzi said the Indian-
American community has
embraced the U.S. in all of its
facets “and adopted this coun-
try, but you’ve never abandoned
your native country—the same
way my family never abandoned
their love for Italy. You still keep
traditional dress, music and cul-
ture, but you’ve adopted this
country and made it your own.”
Later, during the convention,
Suozzi also appeared in a town-
hall style format with Rep. Frank
Pallone (D-N.J.) and founder of
the Congressional Caucus on
India and Indian American to
discuss health care reform.
As the meeting opened, he
joked: “When I first started in
politics, they said, ‘You have to
take care of the three I’s—the
Italians, the Irish and Israel.”
“Now,” he said to laughter
and applause, “it’s four I’s –the
Indians too.”
Being All American
Foundation and the
Indian Abroad Center for
Political Awareness, that
provided scholarships for
needy Indian-American
students and summer
internships for Indian-American college students
in the Capitol Hill offices
of senators and members
of the House of
Representatives. He is also
a member of the board of
trustees of Jain Temple in
Detroit and also a member
of the board of trustees at
Oakwood Health Care
System and now
Beaumont Health since
2011.
Beaumont Hospital,
where Jain works, is a 185-
bed teaching hospital that
is part of Beaumont
Health, Michigan’s largest
health care system. He
became chief medical offi-
cer in 2015. He also serves
as the hospital’s patient
safety officer and oversees
site related patient safety
and quality activities.
Jain, a practicing radiol-
ogist, joined Beaumont
Hospital in 1982 and was
elected chief of staff in
2011.
Moving
AAPI
Forward
Continued from page 18
A
“...I am
proud of my
culture, I am
proud of my
heritage, and
I am proud
of you”
Above, Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi (D-N.J.)
speaks at the town hall meeting held as
part of the AAPI convention, June 24.
Left, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.),
who represents the 8th District, which
includes Chicago.
INDIA ABROAD July 7, 2017 21 SPECIAL REPORT
INDIAABROAD.COM