'Trump Won't Target Indians'

'Someone posts a job on LinkedIn and there are a thousand resumes in an hour? This is not the America IT professionals are used to.'
'Once they lose their job, it's impossible to get a job.'

"You know, I couldn't have been happier."

Professor A D Amar of Indian Americans for Trump was ecstatic at Donald Trump's presidential win.

"Like, we never expected him to get the popular vote... I expected him to win the electoral vote," Amar, a professor at Seton Hall University, tells P Rajendran.

That is true because for the last 20 years, no Republican presidential candidate got the popular vote.

According to him, "Trump used to be opposed to deciding based on the Electoral College. He had been pushing for the popular vote. In 2016 he won based on the electoral vote, not the popular vote. Then he changed his opinion... When he got elected, he realised more states voted for him and he got more electoral college votes.

"As a result, he changed his mind. Otherwise, states that are heavily populated, like California, New York will decide who will be the president. And the smaller states will not have a say."

IMAGE: Professor A D Amar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Professor A D Amar

Speaking of interactions with Trump, Amar said, "I met him at Mar-a-Lago on Diwali two years ago. I have had some communications with him, but I hadn't met him in person (till then).

"I found him very personable, very warm. He could really win you over. When you actually see him on stage, when he is adjusting to 30,000 people, then he talks more to the masses and he uses that personality."

Amar, a production engineer by training and was looking at a PhD in the subject, shifted to management at a suggestion from CUNY's N Paul Loomba, also an Indian.

According to Amar, when it comes to his talk of deportations, despite his senior advisor promising to 'turbocharge' denaturalisation, Trump will not target people by nationality.

"He (Trump) is not saying denaturalisation... He is targeting those who came illegally," Amar said, stressing that Trump will not target Indians.

As for the promise of tariffs on imported goods, Amar said countries like Japan, Korea and Germany have been looking for the cheapest places to buy their raw material and then selling it to the US at very high prices.

"There are drugs like Ozempic sold to Americans at a price that is five-six times the price of what they are selling to European countries. That's not fair," he said.

"These countries will change their policies. They know Trump means what he says."

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Abhiram Garapati says the Democratic party lost because it ran with a lot of negativity and hatred.

Garapati, who ran for Congress and lost in the District 31 Republican primary, says, "One thing I must emphasise is, in politics negativity does not work. People want a positive message."

He is seeking a role in the Trump administration. The incumbent Congressman, John Carter, has promised to endorse him, he said.

According to Garapati, people are upset by high inflation, rocketing crime, illegal immigration and the lack of jobs.

Especially Indian American IT professionals?

"Someone posts a job on LinkedIn and there are a thousand resumes in an hour? This is not the America IT professionals are used to. Once they lose their job, it's impossible to get a job," he said.

IMAGE: Abhiram Garapati. Photograph: Kind courtesy Abhiram Garapati

When told that jobs figures were stronger, and that federal agencies had put up figures suggesting the economy was doing well, Garapati points out to students coming out of college taking up low-paying jobs.

"I never used to see them work at gas stations and restaurants," he said.

"The market reality is so different from the data they (the federal agencies) present."

Garapati pointed out to the stock market being at an all-time high but the effects not showing an effect on people's pocketbooks or daily lives.

"Nobody's feeling the wealth, nobody's feeling the jobs," he said.

Garapati said Donald Trump, being a businessman, understood these concerns, and has promised to reduce interest rates on the first day of his presidency.

He felt assured the Trump will bring back manufacturing jobs, and bring down the price of oil, which would have a cascading effect on other prices.

Garapati said Trump is a changed man after the assassination attempt.

"He wants to leave office with an excellent track record. He's going to unleash the American economy as never before."

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com