Today (Nov 5) marks the end of the celebration of Diwali for Hindus across the world. Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness and is the biggest and most significant holiday for our community. Across the country, there is a new light rising as Hindu and Indian Americans writ large are embracing common-sense, conservative policies amidst the darkness and failures of Joe Biden and the Democrats’ radical agenda.

The failures of Joe Biden and the Democrats are clear. Rising prices, soaring crime, and an economy leaving so many behind are a threat to our families’ well-being. It’s no wonder why Indian Americans are realizing they have a home in the Republican Party. The GOP shares our values. Republicans’ message of economic prosperity, freedom, and security is resonating.

At this moment, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is investing in the Indian American community like never before. On Saturday, the RNC will open a community center in Dallas with a focus on reaching Indian Americans living there. This office will be a hub of political action where volunteers can make phone calls, organize for door knocking, and learn how to effect real change. They’ll establish a catalyst for reaching out to neighbors and fighting for the ideas that enabled so many Indian Americans to achieve the American Dream. Above all, this community center – and more community centers to come – will allow Republicans to better understand and serve the needs of Indian Americans so we can build a stronger country together.

This continues a trend of the Republican Party attracting diverse candidates and making important gains with minority communities. The RNC has opened nine minority engagement community centers across the country and are on track to open thirty-five by November 2022. With these investments, the RNC will have eyes and ears to listen and learn from different voices and identify how we can reach even more voters. This will build on historic progress made by President Trump and Republicans in 2020 and in recent elections in Virginia, where minority voters backed the GOP in record numbers and new minority voices like Virginia’s first Black female Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears and Virginia’s first Hispanic American Attorney General Jason Miyares were elected to office.

As Indian Americans, we play a crucial role in shaping the Republican Party. Indian Americans increased their support for Republicans between 2016 and 2020 by over 10%, according to AAPI Data. This week’s sweeping victories in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and across the nation show that the GOP’s message is resonating with Americans of all backgrounds. We cannot afford to wait on Biden’s failing administration. The time for action is now. By establishing a permanent presence in new communities, we look forward to building relationships, having conversations, and learning how to better represent all Indian Americans as we move towards the 2022 election and beyond.To Hindu and Indian Americans during this Diwali, the RNC extends a warm invitation to call our community centers home. We wish you a happy and blessed end to this holiday and we look forward to hearing from you and your family soon.

(Antani, a Republican, is the 1st Indian American State Senator in Ohio history and the youngest Indian American elected official in the United States.)

 (OPED submitted by Nainoa Johsens, Director of Asian Pacific American Media, Republican National Committee)