Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has declared that August 15 will be celebrated as “Indian-American Day.”
In honor of the announcement, the Reunion Tour ball was illuminated orange, green, and white, the colors of the Indian flag.
The city’s declaration and recognition coincide with India celebrating its 75th anniversary of winning independence from the British empire.
“America… this is our home. But, it also recognizes our heritage,” said first-generation Indian-American Sanjiv Yajnik, president of financial services at Capital One. “We come from India, and we are proud of our heritage.”
Indian Americans are also proud of their contributions to the North Texas economy, where they make up a population of over 220,000.
“That is around two and a half percent [of the DFW population], but the Indian-America community owns around five and a half percent of business. That brings direct revenue of 10 billion dollars,” stated Arun Agarwal, CEO of home textiles supplier Nextt and a first-generation immigrant with children born in the United States.
Gov. Greg Abbott chose Agarwal to serve on the Board of Directors of the Texas Economic Development Corporation last month.
Yajnik told CBS News that he and Agarwal have faced some “uphill battles” while striving to become successful in the business world.
The businessmen established the Indian-American CEO Council after accompanying Gov. Abbott on a trade mission to India. Upon their return, they brought members of the Indian-American community in Dallas together to commemorate the community’s achievements.
“We wanted to set an example for our children,” Yajnik said. “They are as American as apple pie.”
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, when excluding Mexicans, Indians make up the biggest group of immigrants settling in 21 of the nation’s 50 states.