Nikki Haley: Another Desi Who Really Isn’t a Desi
Thursday, May 21, 2009 18:38
Yesterday, Sepia Mutiny profiled Nikki (Randhawa) Haley, an Indian American and new gubernatorial candidate for South Carolina (R). Interested, we did some further investigation into Ms. Haley, and came away conflicted: on one hand, I very much wanted to support her quest to become the second South Asian governor. On the other hand, I really question whether we can characterize her as “desi” or “south asian”. Just like Miss Indiana, Courtni Shabana Hall, the feeling I get is that she may have been born to Indian parents, but there is nothing about Ms. Haley that would identify with the South Asian community.
Born Nimrata, Ms. Haley changed her name to the more southern friendly “Nikki”. She was raised in a strong Sikh household, but abruptly now talks about her Methodist affiliation and her love for Jesus. This is all well of good if she really feels this way, but a small part of me is upset that here is a South Asian that so easily dispelled two of her most South Asian characteristics: her name and her religion. Add that to a personal image and sensibility that has nothing Indian about it, and the disconnect is wide.
Now there are some that may call this ignorant, using a rationale similar to the often quoted black community mantra: I should be propping by brothers and sisters up, not tearing them down right? To those I ask though: what makes them my brother or sister? Just the fact we had parents that were born in the same country? Or is it that we share a common belief and pride in the culture we have grown up in and the community we are affiliated to?
What do you think? Do you wholeheartedly accept Miss Haley as a fellow desi? Or do you simply embrace her because you are happy to increase the number of so-called “Indian American” politicians?
Pratip says:
May 21st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
completely agree, don’t see anything desi about her…my bigger question is, do we need to act like the south in order to achieve success????
canadian says:
May 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Although I agree with you on your other charges, you can’t really fault her for going by ‘Nikki’. I’m from Toronto, and there’s a ton of Punjabi ‘Nikki’s’, ‘Sunny’s’, ‘Manny’s’, ‘Ricky’s’, and most of these people are primarily friends with other south asians, so it’s not really an attempt to “be more white”.
Narinder Grewal, who became the first Sikh female MP in Canada, goes by “Nina Grewal”, but you could hardly accuse her of “not being desi” (she lives in the most-Punjabi-dominated town in Canada).
In fact, I’d say more than half the Sikh women growing up in Canada don’t go by their real first names, and it is usually not an attempt at becoming “white”.
Manish Mathias says:
May 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Nikki will never succeed or garner much attention. Trust me. The days of the desi love fest are over. When will these publicity grubbing Indians just go away. If you’re going to change your religion then act and live like Jesus. He never ran for any political office but he still managed to help the poor, down trodden and outcast. Something I’m sure Nimrata err Nikki won’t be focusing her attention on. If I was a voter in South Carolina I’d forget about all of the fluff and show and ask her if she really loves Jesus so much then why not act like him.
SS says:
May 26th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
@canadian: It’s not so much her name in and of itself. It’s the complete package. It feels like she has made a very tactical effort to represent herself in a way that is much more palatable to a white, southern population. Now that may be a necessary evil, but it’s a sad commentary nonetheless.
dungfiend says:
May 26th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
whta a dumb ho.
NS says:
May 29th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I am surprised she even mentions her heritage, if she could have conveniently missed that out, then it would be a clean sweep, the tan could have been put down to a sunbed….. This reminds me of a Ford advert from 10 years ago in the UK where the black and brown engineers were ‘whited’ out.
Does anyone have photos of her family, has she done this to them? Maybe renamed them Alfred and Sarah Randywa?? Another convenient case of escaping your roots in order to make a few more bucks….. There’s a word for people that do that.
a. young says:
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
Haley is not trying to appeal to southerners; she is a southerner. — 100 years ago, all immigrants to the United States (Irish, Italians, Jews, Eastern Europeans) did their best to assimilate as Americans. As a result, the dominant culture in this country, the culture that has made this a great country, is not attached to a particular heritage or ethniicity. — Only a RACIST would assail Haley for assimilating into the mainstream American society. Support her or reject her for her character, experience, and her deas about how to improve the government. Not her name or how she chooses to worship God.
SS says:
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
@ a. young: Completely disagree here. The question is not whether you should assimilate to “U.S. culture”, it is rather questioning the motivation for the name change and religious conversion. I would have no problem if Ms. Haley was born a Christian. Also, if she was in a different profession, would she have taken the same action? Perhaps. But it’s still a question that should be asked. It just seems odd that both of the high profile southern desi politicians out there have both converted to Christianity. How many desis do you know in general that have done the same?
a. young says:
June 6th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Being a Christian certainly helps in American (not just Southern) politics. All of our our presidents have been Christian or something pretty close to it (e.g. Thomas Jefferson). Although this phenomenon runs counter to the founding principals of America, it is, unfortunately, still the way it is. — Nonetheless, it is a strech to conclude, without evidence, that any specific policiian has converted to Christianity for politcal motives. There is no evidence that either Jindal or Haley have done so. None. –And, just perhaps, there are other attributes of these two people that make them politically appealing, even more than their religious beliefs. Like the fact that they are smart, accomplished, attractive, married with children, and conservative. — When enough citizens see that this country is going downhill because of a lack of religious faith, in any form, among its leaders, the specific religious views our leaders will diminish in importance.
Richard says:
June 8th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
As a reporter you should get your facts straight. Born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa, she married and has assumed her husbands last name. Hence her now legal name, Nikki Randhawa Haley. Nikki has always been a part of her legal name.
Jeff says:
June 15th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Another ridiculous article written by this senseless person. As far as I know, she’s lived in South Carolina her entire life and hasn’t ever lived in India, therefore she is 100% more American than she is Indian. I cant understand the writer’s desperate need to identify with her as an Indian. Since you’re from America then you can identify with her as an American. In the same way as Indians in India prefer to elect Indians to political office, Americans too like to elect Americans to office. She frequently speaks of her parent’s Indian background in the context of her American life story. However, at the end of the day, she’s an American running for an American office.
SS says:
June 15th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Jeff — please define “American” Is it being named Nikki vs. Nimrata? Is it being Catholic vs. Hindu?
I would tend to use your argument directly against you. If she is truly being American, she should be comfortable using whatever name/religion/etc. she chooses to without having to pander to what she thinks other “Americans” will like. Again, I have no issue with her changing her name or religion, as long as the motives were true (and not politically incented).
Jeff says:
June 17th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
SS…you are totally missing my point. Being American is not being named one name over another or having another religion as opposed to another. Being American is doing the best at whatever you do and doing it to the best of one’s ability. Being that she is an American politician, her job and livelihood is anchored by “pandering” to what “Americans” will like. The fact that you have an issue with a politician changing a name or religion out of political motivation simply demonstrates how naiive of an understanding of politics you have. For instance, if she kept her name Nimrata Randhawa and spoke with a Gujurati accent, she may lose handily in a South Carolina election. However, if she’s Nikki Haley and speaks like the Southerner she truly is, then she may have a better shot of winning. Sure she makes political moves, but she’s still being her true self at the core.
Stan says:
June 26th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Totally don’t see her or “Bobby” as Indian-American in any way other than having brown parents. What’s especially disgusting about Jindal was how he’d pander to Indian-Americans at Indian-American held fundraisers to raise the bucks when based on how he conducts himself it was obvious he could give a rat’s arse about Indian-American concerns or about India.
It would be admirable if this woman or Jindal held to their Indian beliefs and Indian identity and won.
Raj says:
October 15th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Heard some rumor that she and her husband almost made it into a white country club when the philandering governor of South Carolina opened his mouth and blabbered out that she is Indian..and she had to withdraw her appliaction..even then, half the idiots in SC dont know that she is not white…but when the campaign starts in earnest the cat may be out of the bag and her interracial marriage will come to haunt her!
George says:
February 25th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
If she even comes close in the opinion polls, there would be another birther movement, where the white racists in GOP would try to question whether she was actually born in the US.