Gurbir Grewal, a Sikh American, has been nominated for New Jersey attorney general by governor-elect Phil Murphy. American Bazaar reports, if the New Jersey Senate approves his nomination, he will be the first South Asian American attorney general in New Jersey, and the first Sikh attorney general in the nation. His confirmation would be monumental for the South Asian American community.
The Bergen County prosecutor has previously served as the assistant US Attorney in New York and New Jersey. Grewal primarily prosecuted narcotic offenses, white collar crimes, and terrorism crimes, according to India Abroad.
His nomination has sparked the interest of many governments officials and attorneys. Senator-elect Vin Gopal was one of many to express his approval. “This is a historic moment for the State of New Jersey. “I want to commend the governor-elect for nominating someone who is not only eminently qualified but who will bring a perspective to the office that is diverse and long overdue.”
The South Asian Bar Association of North America congratulated him as well. “We applaud Governor-elect Murphy in picking a distinguished and qualified member of the South Asian and Sikh-American legal community for this pivotal role. We strongly support Mr. Grewal’s nomination as attorney general and look forward to working with him on issues of national importance.”
Grewal’s commitment to public service stems from his want “to give back to a country that has given us and other immigrant families like us so much.” Furthermore, he wanted to ensure equality after experiencing hate while growing up. “As someone who has experienced hate and intolerance firsthand throughout my life, I wanted to work to ensure that we all live in a fair and just society.”
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