Ramaswamy (AP file photo)
Vivek Ramaswamy exchanged a light joke on X ahead of Thanksgiving, replying to a post that teased him about sounding “very American” in his holiday messages, using words like “Saar” and spelling “American” as “AmeRdican” to exaggerate his Indian-American identity.It said, “The Vivek Ramaswamy American cosplay is coming in hot tomorrow. ‘Happy VERY AMERDICAN Thanksgiving turkey day, Saar’ post is imminent. Maybe we’ll get two. Will be the most Indian thing you see all month.” Ramaswamy replied, “Happy Thanksgiving,” adding a wink emoji.
The Indian-American has often become the target of xenophobic attacks. Earlier this year, he shared a Halloween photo with his two young sons on X which drew a stream of racist remarks from some conservative users, who suggested they should be deported. One person replied, “It’s Reformation Day. Repent and declare Christ Jesus your Lord and Saviour.”
Ramaswamy’s parents moved to the US from Kerala in the 1970s. His mother worked as a geriatric psychiatrist and his father was an engineer and patent lawyer at General Electric. Ramaswamy was born in 1985.He is now a Republican frontrunner in the Ohio governor race. His public profile rose after president Donald Trump said Ramaswamy would help lead the new department of government efficiency, alongside Elon Musk. If he wins the governor’s race, he will become the fourth high-profile Indian American elected in Ohio. Republican Niraj Antani first entered the Ohio House in 2014 at the age of 23. Democrat and physician Anita Somani is currently the only Indian American holding elected office in the state.
