New Jersey has passed a legislation to make college and university tuitions more affordable for the children of H-1B visa holders, who are mostly Indian IT professionals, bringing a huge financial relief to them. Gov. Phil Murphy signed the legislation Jan. 21, sponsored, among others, by Sen. Vin Gopal and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji.
Eight New Jersey high schoolers or recent graduates are among the New Jersey Leadership program’s class of 2019 Summer Fellowship Program.
H-1B visa-holders from India living in New Jersey who have long been forced to pay exorbitant college tuition for their children at public colleges because they are not permanent residents of U.S., had a sigh of relief last week thanks to efforts of state senator Vin Gopal (D. 11th District).
There is no denying that “Game of Thrones” is more than just a series; it’s a phenomenon. Over the past eight years, the sword and sorcery epic about warring kings and monsters has conquered television, and how. With its plot twists, deaths and controversies, people of all backgrounds have been mesmerized by the fictional world of Westeros.
An estimated 42,000 people attended the 14th annual India Day Parade hosted by the Indian Business Association (IBA) on Aug. 12 in Edison, New Jersey. Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher was the grand marshal for the parade, which also featured actresses Niharica Raizada and Prachi Tehlan.
The packed-to-capacity crowd at the Wonder Bar on the night of Jan. 9 was a testament to the popularity of the newly elected state Senator Vin Gopal. Monmouth County Democrats, supporters, volunteers, family, friends and even a few Republican Assembly members and freeholders joined to celebrate Gopal’s swearing-in as the state’s newest senator.
If 2016 was a banner year for Indian-Americans in the political sphere, with five candidates scoring national victories in the House and Senate, the Nov. 7 election this year wasn’t too far behind in marking success at the state and local levels. It also signaled a maturity and manifestation that the community had come into its own as candidates overcame racist, bigoted and xenophobic campaign messages directed against them, particularly in New Jersey.
The Democrat wave that has swept across most of the Eastern seaboard also had coattails for Indian-American challenger in the New Jersey State Senate. Vin Gopal has become the first Indian-American elected to the New Jersey State Senate. In another impressive win, City Councilman Ravi Bhalla was elected mayor of Hoboken
Upendra Chivukula had already enjoyed a string of political successes in 2014 when he decided to challenge three fellow Democrats for the New Jersey House seat that became vacant when former Representative Rush D. Holt Jr. decided not to run for re-election.
In the final days of campaigning, Vin Gopal says he’s grateful to the Indian-American community for their support in his race to the New Jersey Senate. Gopal is hoping to flip the 11th District state Senate seat, currently held by Republican Jen Beck, to Democrat.
