He is the Founder President of Asian Americans for Biden in Orange County, a group of South Asian Americans with a population of more than 23 million and representing 12 percent of the country’s population, the fastest-growing minority group in the US, hence playing an important role in the US elections. He is a member of Democratic National Committee’s finance council and is in-charge of raising funds at a national level for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. His efforts ensured 1.5 million-plus votes from South Asian Americans including Indo-Americans for the Biden campaign. “We celebrated and sighed as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris swore in as our elected leaders,” he says satisfied.
Doing it All
He kickstarted his career as a politician in 2019 when he represented half a million people as a delegate for 68th District for the California Democratic Party. Soon, he was appointed as a member by the resolution committee chair under the California Democratic party, representing 10 million Democrats – a feat no other Indian has achieved in the last 100 years!
Since April 2012, Avinder has also been a Board Member at Newport Mesa Interfaith Council (NMIC) as representative of Indian Sikh community. He is a member of Orange County Advisory Sheriff Interfaith Council under Sheriff Don Barnes representing the Indo-American community. Lately, he was the first Sikh to be appointed as the Chaplain in Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He is the Advisor for CA Chapter, South Asians for America (SAFA).
Avinder is currently appointed as the president of the gurudwara in Irvine. “I’ll be doing my seva for the next two years. If we have moved to this country and are doing good in our career, it is a God’s plan as everything happens for a reason. The Almighty is sovereign and in control of all things. What He orchestrates and allows is meaningful, significant and purposeful. I don’t know what success means but nothing happens outside of God’s knowledge and permission. We are just messengers.”
The Foundation
Avinder’s grandfather, Ram Chand Chawla, working in a post-office in Multan and was raising a happy family when the 1947-partition spoiled it all for them. The family, like many others, too were forced to move to the Indian side of the border. Leaving behind their home, work, settled life, he led his family to Faridabad, Haryana, within two days. The new place took him new avenues: The selfless service of Sikhs influenced him enough for him to convert into Sikhism. He fulfilled his responsibilities as the head of the post office well and also served at the city’s gurudwara.
He ensured raising all seven of his children instilled with the values of Sikhism. However, only Ajit studied well pursuing higher education as well. A qualified civil engineer, he was recruited by Indian government and posted to Patiala as a Sub Divisional Officer. Young and full of zest, he won the senior officials with his efficient and perfect performance and was soon promoted regularly along with transfers across the Punjab. Marrying Sardarni Permjit Kaur, he became the father of two sons, Avinder in 1964 and Shivinder in 1969. He retired in 1995 from the post of Director of Punjab Irrigation. Permjit was an exceptional lady of her times; she had a master’s in English and taught kindergarten to grade 1 students.
In 1977, Ajit’s posting on the Beas Sutlej Link (BSL) project earned him a government deputation to Baghdad, Iraq, for five years, where Permjit got a job at a university and taught Saddam Hussain’s son for three years. During this time, Avinder attended Guru Nanak Public School in Chandigarh under the guardianship of his paternal uncle, while Shivinder stayed with his parents and studied in Iraq.
“So, my uncle had no kids and had lovingly sought my guardianship from my parents. I would visit Iraq during the vacations every year. At that time, I was inspired by the western culture in Iraq. It was even more westernized than the western countries and that shaped my mind to move out of India to lead a successful life.”
Most of his friends came from influential families and they all pushed him to secure a better life. Gurbalinder Singh, his friend, was the grandson of the first Defense Minister of India, Baldev Singh. Giani Zail Singh’s grandson and many other national leaders’ kids were his friends. Growing up and learning with them, pursued him to study hard like his father.
First Step to the Dream Life
In 1983, the family came back to India and started living in Panchkula, Haryana. “Our neighbor there, Surinder Kanwar, was working in the US at that time. He motivated me to visit the US with him – and that’s where I had always wanted to be. It was my dream since I was 13. Seeds of hope were sown.” Soon after completing his BSc in Civil Engineering, in 1986, he joined Gammon India as a civil engineer and saw to the successful and efficient completion of a main bridge in Ropar, Punjab.
In 1987, with his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, he landed in the US and enrolled into postgraduation program in California State University, Los Angeles. While still in his second year of college, he got an offer from the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) in 1991. Could he have denied it? He joined the project management department there and stuck to it for the next six years, when he moved to the traffic department. Gurpreet, having studied molecular biology and chemistry for her postgraduation. In the US, she joined a pharmaceutical company as research associate and currently oversees her own business.
He became a Member of Democratic National Committee Ethnic Council and was invited to White House as a Sikh representative to initiate Vaisakhi celebration in Washington in 2016. He was awarded a proclamation by John Garamendi, Co-Chair of American Sikh Congressional Caucus for the Sikh Center, Orange County.
Avinder had an opportunity to attend the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia in July 2016, along with several eminent personalities like Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom; former governor of California, Gray Davis, etc.
“Guru Nanak Dev ji said that God is inside everyone and so, serving people is serving God. Social work should be practiced without any thought for a reward; it should come as every person’s duty. I try my best to serve those around me in any way possible and promote the good values of Sikhism and support those who have been a victim of hate and racial discrimination.”
His Tower of Strength
Blessed with three beautiful, talented and smart girls, Sharon, and twins Ria and Pria. “Gurpreet and our daughters are my biggest support, motivators and critiques too. They teach me a lot of things every day and are always standing by my side.” Sharon completed her masters from University of Southern California, Los Angeles, in healthcare administration and then worked at the Long Beach Memorial Hospital. She currently is pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. She aspires to manage a big health care facility. The younger ones, Ria and Pria, are in their second year of medicine for graduation.
He along with his daughters helped Dave Min in his campaign for CA State Senate. Avinder also actively campaigned and raised funds for the local race in the 2020 election for Farrah Khan as the mayor of Irvine. “Eventually, she won the election by a high margin of votes – it almost pathbreaking.” He is continuously working to ensure equal rights for all people while paying special attention to women and minorities. He is also looking toward promoting, supporting and ensuring the funding of Universal Obama Health Care. With his impeccable knowledge, he is encouraging and advancing the hope and American dream of immigrants and the rights of homeless people.