A Seat at the Table

The 2024 election cycle was a high-stakes moment for South Asian Americans, the fastest-growing Asian American group in the United States. After decades of being disenfranchised and underrepresented in politics, the nation witnessed the groundbreaking campaign of the first South Asian presidential candidate in Kamala Harris.

Seat at the Table looks beyond the Harris presidential campaign. South Asian voters – a demographic that lean Democrat and are often concentrated in pivotal swing states – play an increasingly influential role in tight races, and in recent years, there has been a rise of South Asian lawmakers, making up what some informally call the “Samosa Caucus.”

The documentary follows the 2024 campaigns of Nabeela Syed, Ravi Bhalla, Dr. Amish Shah and more. Whether they won or lost, Seat at the Table captures the community’s investment into leaders-in-training, grassroots organizing and a growing voting base that can more effectively advocate for the community’s needs.

Director Sarita Khurana was a 2020 CAAM Fellow.