Maryland state Assembly Delegate Kumar Barve who is running for the Democratic Party nomination for his Congressional race from District 8, received a significant endorsement from a labor union impressed by his immigrant ancestry
Barve, 58, is the first Indian-American to be elected to a State Assembly in the history of this country back in 1990. He served as Majority Leader from 2002 to 2015, and is currently chairman of the House Environment and Transportation Committee.
Barve, who is running from District 8, was endorsed by UNITE-HERE, an international labor union representing hospitality workers around the country.
Leaders of the group said they were impressed by his family’s immigrant history. During his campaign, Barve, 58, who was born in Schenectady, N.Y., and lived for many decades in Maryland, has stressed his Indian heritage and the example set by his grandfather. “The government tried to strip my grandfather of his citizenship because he wasn’t white, but my grandfather stood strong and fought to defend his rights all the way to the Supreme Court,” Barve says on his website. “His story inspired my journey into public life and I follow in his footsteps and stand up for those who need a voice.”
On his Facebook page, Barve said he was proud to receive this UNITE-HERE endorsement. “I will continue to fight for better wages, paid sick leave and pro-labor policies that better the lives of our working families,” he promised. Barve is running to replace Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen who is giving up his seat to run for the U.S. Senate. However, he is vying for the party nomination against several other strong Democratic candidates in the April 26 Democratic primary.
“It is an inspiration to immigrant workers in our community that Kumar has used the story of his immigrant grandfather’s fight against the U.S. Government to retain his citizenship as the centerpiece of his campaign to provide dignity and opportunity for every American,” Bert Bayou, chapter president of UNITE HERE Local 23, is quoted saying in a press release. “He has fought to increase the minimum wage, maintain the prevailing wage and expand workers’ rights,” said Bayou, an Ethiopian immigrant who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
UNITE HERE represents 275,000 workers in the hospitality industry across the United States and Canada, including approximately 15,000 workers in Maryland and Washington’s hotels, casinos, cafeterias, and airports, a press release said.
“Our union is made up of a majority of immigrants, women and people of color,” Roxie Herbekian, international vice president of UNITE HERE International Union and President of UNITE HERE Local 7, is quoted saying in the release. “As the first Indian American elected to a state legislature in American history, Kumar Barve is an inspiration to our members.”
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