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When I started at my first job in the U.S. at a small office in Sunnyvale, one of the benefits I was most excited about was the free coffee for all employees.  As a newly arrived immigrant from India, free coffee represented freedom.  Twice a day, I would go down the hallway to the coffee station, which consisted of a portable table, a coffee maker, Styrofoam cups, sugar packets and dry milk packets.   

For my cup of coffee to taste anything like the filter coffee I drank at home, I had to pour several packets of sugar and dry creamer into the coffee.  It was never perfect, but it sufficed for the moment.   Unbeknownst to me at that time, my coffee-making and coffee-drinking habits were quite the subject of discussion among my predominantly male colleagues. 

Why did I have to ‘contaminate’ my coffee with all that sugar and powdered milk?  Finally, someone mustered up enough courage to tell me that in America, ‘real’ cowboys drink their coffee black.   I was too shy to tell them I had no aspirations to be a cowboy, real or otherwise. I was also unacquainted with the historical context of the Cowboys and Indians narrative and hence missed an opportunity for a snappy comeback.

Also Read: Celebrating India’s Independence and the Indian American Story

Since then, many years have passed, and I like to think I have overcome much of the timidity and anxiety that shadowed me in my early professional life.   In 2022, I ran for – and won - a city council seat in Cupertino, a city I have lived in for more than 35 years and a city I consider my adopted home.   While campaigning with members of my family and a host of close friends, I focused on promoting my candidacy every way possible.  I will never forget the many Indian households whose doors we knocked on. 

Regardless of their unfamiliarity with civic engagement or indifference to local politics or just the plain aggravation of strangers knocking on their doors, they opened their homes and welcomed us, often with snacks and water.   During the Navratri season, when ‘Golu’ arrangements were on full display in many homes, we received prasadam, kumkum, flowers and traditional Indian snacks!  I am convinced that it is this outpouring of goodwill and encouragement that helped propel me to victory.  

Now, as a member of the City Council of Cupertino, I am proud to represent a city that includes a majority Asian population and embraces and celebrates its diversity.  As we mark India’s Independence Day on August 15, I know I am not the only person of Indian origin reflecting not only on the journey of the nation that we left behind but also on our own personal journeys.  The legacy of perseverance, unity, hard work and non-violence is still with us; we’ve just figured out a way to adapt this legacy to our lives here in America.

As an elected official in my city, I see my role through the lens of that rich legacy founded on the belief that diverse voices strengthen a community.  Our city government commemorates Diwali, the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, Indian Independence Day, Bell Ringing to observe the bombing of Hiroshima, Juneteenth to celebrate the end of slavery, and Pride Month to honor the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community—and we do so in a full-throated acknowledgement of these significant global milestones of joy and tragedy.

In this 76th year of India’s Independence, I am proud to be working in public service.   When an immigrant from Bangalore is given the privilege of serving in institutions that once seemed distant and unfamiliar, it is a moment of pride for all of us in the Indian American community - and a recognition of how far our community has come.  

Our heritage is based on the value of education, service and collective well-being, and these are principles that align closely with public service.  I pray that future generations will recognize this connection and the immense satisfaction that public service offers.

Since my election, I have had the honor of serving my city as vice-mayor, mayor and now, council member.   I campaigned as an Indian American, but I also ran as a Cupertino resident with a vision for the future of my city, a vision fortunately shared by a large section of the city’s residents. First and foremost, I wanted this to be a community that continued to have the same charm, the same amenities, the vibrancy, the inclusiveness and diversity that had drawn me and my family when we first decided to move here. 

During my time on the City Council, I have been fortunate to translate some of this vision into reality:  park trails have been opened, vacant land has been refashioned for housing, new initiatives for welcoming folks with mental, physical and intellectual disabilities are starting to take shape, housing for seniors is being constructed, bike lanes have been buffered, and pedestrian crossings have been made safer.  It is indeed gratifying to see these positive changes in a community that has always been known worldwide for its innovative spirit and big ideas.

My story – and the story of so many of my fellow Indian Americans - is one of bridging worlds of differences, building community in the places we now call home, and being grateful for the values instilled by both our ancestral and adopted homelands. 

India’s Independence Day is a day to celebrate freedom, everywhere. May we continue to celebrate this freedom in all its forms – the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new - as we continue to leapfrog national borders into uncharted waters. 

 

The author is the former mayor of Cupertino and a seasoned finance professional.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of India Abroad.)