Neera Tanden is the only Indian-American to be invited to address the Democratic National Convention.
For presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, politics is all about fighting for people, not when the cameras are on but when they are off, Indian- American Neera Tanden said today in her political debut on the national stage at the Democratic party convention in Philadelphia.
So far, Ms Tanden, 45, is the only Indian-American to have been invited by the Democratic leadership and the Clinton Campaign to address the ongoing Democratic National Convention.
Ms Tanden, who is currently president of the Center for American Progress, a progressive public policy research and advocacy organisation based in Washington DC, narrated her personal story to make a strong case for Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States.
"It's truly an honour for me to address this convention. Because frankly, I would not be here without the policies of the democratic party," said Ms Tanden, a close confidant of Clinton.
"My parents got divorced when I was five years old. My father left for a time, and my mother had to be on welfare. She worked hard to support me and my brother...We used lunch of vouchers at school and food stamps at the supermarket."
"After we moved out of our house, a federal subsidy let us to get an apartment and stay in a town with good public schools," she said recollecting her childhood days.
"It wasn't easy, but we eventually got back on our feet because of the investment democrats have made in struggling families like mine," she said amidst applause from the audience that had several thousand Democratic party delegates and party leaders in attendance.
Ms Tanden, who is speculated as a potential cabinet appointee in Hillary's administration, said she knows firsthand that the decisions leaders make, makes all the difference in people's lives.
"That is why I direct public policy, and that is why I am so very proud to support Hillary Clinton. For decades, Hillary has campaigned on issues that matter to working families. Childcare, paid leave, equal pay," the Indian-American leader said.