Know about Nikki Haley, US presidential hopeful who traces her roots to India

Former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who on Tuesday announced her US presidential bid, traces her family roots to India.

Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Haley to Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kumar Randhawa who emigrated from Amritsar to the United States. Prior to moving abroad, her father was a professor at Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana while her mother received her law degree from the University of Delhi.

Nikki earned her accounting degree from Clemson University before joining her family’s clothing business in the US. Subsequently, she served as as treasurer and president of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Also read: Donald Trump announces 2024 US presidential run; Biden says he ‘failed America’

Haley had her first brush with politics in 2004 when she was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004. She went on to serve three terms. She was elected governor of South Carolina during her third term in 2010 and also won re-election in 2014.

Several firsts

Haley had the distinction of being the first female governor of South Carolina, the youngest governor in the country and the second governor of Indian descent (after fellow Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana). She was the first female governor of Asian American heritage. In 2017, Haley became the first Indian American member of a presidential cabinet. Haley was named among ‘The 100 Most Influential People’ by Time magazine.

Also read: From Nikki Haley to Rishi Sunak, a look at prominent Indian-origin world leaders

Haley served as United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018. During her stint, she defended US interests, particularly US support to Israel, at the Security Council, and led the effort to withdraw the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). She voluntarily stepped down as Ambassador on December 31, 2018.

Strong views

Haley is known for her strong views on issues like immigration laws and abortion. “Being a daughter of immigrants, I believe the immigration laws should be enforced,” she stated while voting in favour of a law that requires employers to be able to prove that newly hired employees are legal residents of the United States, and also requires all immigrants to carry documentation to prove the same.

Haley describes herself as “pro-life”. She supported legislation to restrict abortion stating, “I’m not pro-life because the Republican Party tells me, I’m pro-life because all of us have had experiences of what it means to have one of these special little ones in our life.” In 2016, she re-signed a new state law that bans abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy.