Making a Difference:

Upendra Chivukula
Charts His Course

Three decades ago, a young electrical engineer from India decided to come to the U.S. to pursue further studies. But his visa was rejected for lack of funds. Not once, but twice. He did make it through the third time, and not only did he build a career as an electrical engineer, he went one step ahead. Lalita Aloor meets one of only a handful of Indian Americans in the U.S. to be elected to state office: New Jersey State Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula.

Photos by Jessica Noelle

His unassuming manner might take you off guard, but make no mistake - Upendra Chivukula is more than a role model for Indian Americans who aspire to make a difference in mainstream America. He is currently serving his third term in the New Jersey State Assembly, is the chairman of the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and a member of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee in the Assembly. His extensive public service and political accomplishments have also included participation in the delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1996, 2000, and 2004, and his bio lists several other accomplishments throughout his political career. But for Chivukula, 55, this is just the beginning. He is actively pursuing opportunity for higher office, and harbors hopes of being an international/UN ambassador some day.

How does he describe his work life? "I'm having fun. I've made my share of mistakes but overall I enjoy my work thoroughly," he says. His parents, back home in India, are extremely proud of their son's achievements. Except for his mother's occasional complaint that she hears more about him through television or the newspapers than from him directly, they are very happy with his accomplishments.

In fact, his family was a major reason he chose to come to the U.S. in the first place. Reminiscing about his past, Chivukula, originally from Andhra Pradesh, divulges that finances were extremely tight in his family, and his father was deep in debt trying to get his three sisters married off under the heavy dowry system of southern India. It was mainly to help reduce the family debt that he decided to come and work in the U.S. for a while. With the help of a family friend who took a leap of faith and agreed to be a sponsor for his education, he was able to make it to the City University of New York for a master's in electrical engineering.

It was while in graduate school that he met his wife Dayci, to whom he has been married for 29 years. They met on campus and got married the very same year. She currently works as an educator, teaching Spanish to middle school students in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Together they have raised two children -- a son, Suraj, and a daughter, Damianty.

After graduation, Chivukula lived and worked in New York City for five years. Then, he moved to New Jersey, where he worked with AT&T for 18 years. During his tenure at AT&T, he spent his time in different departments, working on quality control, design, marketing, and other aspects of the business. He also co-authored several books on the best practices in manufacturing and design.

Through colleagues at work, he got in touch with several Asian American organizations that worked on issues affecting the community. One of the important issues that he remembers working on at the time, through organizations like IMPACT and others, was getting the first legislation passed in the country on anti-hate crimes. This was at the height of the Jersey City "dotbusters" crime series.

In 1987, a group calling itself the "dotbusters" -- referring to the bindi worn by Indian women -- wrote a letter to a Jersey City newspaper that read: "We will go to any extreme to get Indians to move out of Jersey City. If I'm walking down the street and I see a Hindu and the setting is right, I will hit him or her." This was followed by a spate of violent incidents against Indian American doctors that terrorized the community. Chivukula worked with various organizations in preparing white papers on the issue and making presentations to congressmen. The legislation was finally introduced in the Senate in the early '90s. Chivukula continued his involvement in Asian American issues and also worked on his own self-development and communication skills through such public speaking classes as Dale Carnegie and others.

A Conversation

It so happened that during a conversation, one of his friends challenged him, saying that although he worked so hard at Asian American issues, there was no way he would be able to make a mark in mainstream politics as he didn't know much about it. That simple comment ignited a spark in the otherwise laid-back Chivukula, and from then on he knew what he had to do. He joined the local JFK Democratic Club as a recording secretary, noting with intensity the minutes of the meetings.

Chivukula admits that timing was on his side. One thing led to another and before he knew it, he was elected chairman of the Franklin Township (New Jersey) Democratic Committee. It happened when the then Democratic chairman resigned before completion of his term, due to frustration at his inability to achieve much in what was clearly a Republican-aligned town. The seat was vacant and there were not many takers. Chivukula was elected in absentia a few minutes before he arrived for the meeting.

Things fell quickly into his lap and he stood up to the challenges. On being elected, he immediately began focusing on the crucial issue of failure that the Democratic Party was repeatedly facing. He applied his analytical skills, gleaned from an engineering background, to the campaign policies, and slowly but steadily began turning things around. As campaign manager, he fielded five candidates and got them elected in a landslide. His promises to the community were not just empty, but were fulfilled with an utmost sincerity that won him the confidence of the voters. That played a crucial role in his success, he avers.

Chivukula was soon appointed to the Franklin Township Council, and became mayor of Franklin Township, New Jersey, in 2000. As mayor, he worked on such issues as preserving open space and increasing census members with a view to getting more federal dollars into the town. But it was only when he decided to run for the New Jersey State Assembly that he felt the need to resign from his fulltime job at AT&T and give his one hundred percent to his political career. He was elected in 2001 as the first South Asian American to the New Jersey Legislature.

Latent Political Instincts

Was the road easy? "As a first-generation immigration with hardly any funds and no family backing whatsoever, it was almost an inconceivable idea," says Chivukula. And for that very reason, it wasn't a planned move. "It just happened," he says. "I had no mentor per se; I just found my way through. Maybe I did have latent political instincts in me and I was lucky that they got an outlet."

He admits that when he first ran for office, funding was extremely tight and he never really thought it would ever be possible. But gradually, as he started working with the community, and championing various issues, the confidence began to seep in and he felt that he could do it, too. "Once you get in, it's addictive," Chivukula adds with a smile.

Did race play a factor? "It certainly does play a role, but only in the beginning. After that, people track you by your contributions and what you have done for society."

The legislator concedes that everything about him from his name to his accent screamed "different." But in the final analysis, what worked in his favor was his sincerity in his commitment to work for everyone. "My success lies in bringing together the commonality of the human spirit, which has no color," he says.

As a state assemblyman, Chivukula has introduced several legislations to support a wide range of issues, from open space preservation to education and healthcare. He is working on creating the Asian American Study Foundation to address the issues of education, healthcare, and senior citizens. In the General Assembly, he coordinated the celebration of Diwali; Hindu priests performing the invocation on May 16, 2000; and honored various Asian American community leaders. He has supported various dignitaries from Asian countries visiting New Jersey for economic development and promoting cultural exchange. And he is currently working on the issue of South Asian American healthcare disparities.

Chivukula has visited Nagonda District in Andhra Pradesh to promote advocacy for solving its dental fluorosis issue. He continually supports various Asian American organizations, and is interested in promoting trade relations between New Jersey and Asian countries.

At the state level, the issues dear to his heart include property tax reform, which he feels is a big issue in New Jersey; access, affordability and quality of healthcare; and growing the economy by creating more jobs in the state.

Spying Takes It Too Far

When asked his opinion of the Patriot Act and the recent controversial spying issue, Chivukula says he doesn't agree with certain aspects of the Patriot Act that take away civil liberties. "People come to the U.S. because it is a free democracy. Being spied on defeats that." While admitting that homeland security is definitely important, he believes that spying takes it too far. The same applies to stringent immigration rules. He feels that although security issues come into play, it is impossible to shut down immigration completely, as immigration helps the country to bring in the best talent and compete in a global economy.

Queried on his thoughts about U.S.-India relations and the nuclear deal, Chivukula says, "It is in the U.S. interest to have a good friend in that region and they are going in the right direction with the nuclear deal."

For a man who has achieved so much in his career, yet has a whole lot ahead of him, the question on what he considers his biggest accomplishment in life is inevitable. The answer, though, is not as expected. With a content smile Chivukula responds, "My biggest accomplishment in life is being married for 29 years. At the end of it all, having a balanced life is the true measure of success and, thankfully, I can claim to have that."