• Home
• /
• World

US Senate appoints Indian-American to ambassador role

"I was born in India, but I was made in the United States," said Shefali Razdan Duggal whose parents are from Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Shefali Razdan Duggal, an Indian-American political activist, has been confirmed by US Senate as the country's next envoy to the Netherlands.

Razdan Duggal, 50, was confirmed by the US Senate by a voice vote along with two other confirmations to senior administrative positions.

A Kashmiri Pandit, Razdan Duggal was born in Haridwar, Uttarakhand and moved with her family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the age of two. She then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of five, where she grew up. She graduated from Miami University and earned her master's from New York University.

"I was born in India, but I was made in the United States," Razdan Duggal told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during her confirmation hearing in July.

Razdan Duggal is an experienced political activist, women's rights advocate, and human rights campaigner. She is a former presidential Appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council and continues to serve as a Western Regional Advisor.

She is a San Francisco Committee member of Human Rights Watch, a member of the Wake Forest University Leadership and Character Council, and served on the National Board of Directors for Emily's List.

"I have full confidence that kindness, empathy, honesty and sweat equity mean something in our country. It is the reason why people from all over the world see us as a beacon of hope and freedom. While my story is not unique, it is one that represents the infinite possibilities of the American spirit and the American dream," Razdan Duggal said.

During her confirmation hearing testimony, Razdan Duggal said as an immigrant, she represents the diverse face of the United States and the generations of people throughout its history who found an opportunity in the US.

"I was raised by a single mom in Cincinnati who worked two minimum wage jobs to support us. My father left us when I was very young and that in this profoundly and permanently affected the direction of my life," she told the lawmakers.

"Rather than dwell upon what I did not have, I embraced the boundless opportunities that we are given here in the United States. I attended college and graduate school with the help of loans, grants and scholarships. As I faced some of my own challenges of being a minority woman with limited resources, I became attuned to the values of diversity and inclusion that continue to inspire me today," the Indian American said.

"I also focused on the rights of minorities and the critical importance of being a voice of the oppressed. This motivated me to pursue my years of work with Human Rights Watch and to serve as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. While my life was often not easy, I was always saved by the grace of God and the promise of the United States," she said.

ALSO READ:

• US: Biden nominates Indian-American lawyer to top judge post

• US issues record-breaking number of visas to Indian students

Razdan Duggal is the recipient of numerous civic awards, including being recognised with the Western Regional Leadership Award by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, as a Community Hero by the California State Assembly, and as one of the Most Powerful Women in California by the National Diversity Council.

She served as National Co-Chair of Women for Biden, and as a Deputy National Finance Chair at the Democratic National Committee.