[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Neuqua

I'm fascinated by the extents Jindal has gone through to shy away/hide from his Indian heritage.

Not that I imagine that demographic is a huge influence in voting, but his reluctance to acknowledge any connection has frustrated the majority of the community.

I'm gonna guess most of the frustration comes from his political opponents, so take it with a grain of salt. Here's the non-pol entries in the wiki page on him.

Early life and professional career

Jindal was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Amar and Raj Jindal, immigrants from Punjab, India, who came to the U.S. six months before he was born.[5] Jindal attended Baton Rouge Magnet High School, graduating in 1988 at the top of his class. While in high school, he competed in tennis tournaments, and started a computer newsletter, a retail candy business, and a mail-order software company. He spent his free time working in the stands at LSU football games.[6] Jindal was one of 50 students nationwide admitted to the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) at Brown University, guaranteeing him a place in medical school. Jindal completed majors in biology and public policy. He graduated in 1991 at the age of 20, with honors in both majors.[6][7] Jindal was named to the 1992 USA Today All-USA Academic Team. He applied to and was accepted by both Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School, but studied at New College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar. He received an M.Litt. degree in political science with an emphasis in health policy from the University of Oxford in 1994, where the subject of his thesis was "A needs-based approach to health care".[6] He turned down an offer to study for a D.Phil. in politics, instead joining the consulting firm McKinsey & Company.[8] He then interned in the office of Rep. Jim McCrery of Louisiana, where McCrery assigned him to work on healthcare policy; Jindal spent two weeks studying Medicare to compile an extensive report on possible solutions to Medicare's financial problems, which he presented to McCrery.[9]

As a young convert to Christianity, Jindal wrote several articles about his spiritual journey that were published in the New Oxford Review.[8]

Jindal was raised in a Hindu household. He converted to Christianity while in Baton Rouge Magnet High School. During his first year at Brown University, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church. His family attends weekly Mass at Saint Aloysius Parish in Baton Rouge.[35]

Jindal's father, Amar Jindal, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Guru Nanak Dev University.[159][160] Jindal's mother, Raj (Pal) Jindal,[159] is an information technology director for the Louisiana Workforce Commission (formerly the Louisiana Department of Labor) and served as Assistant Secretary to former State Labor Secretary Garey Forster during the administration of Gov. Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.[161] Prior to immigrating to the United States, both his parents were lecturers at an Indian engineering college.[162] According to Jindal, his mother was already four months pregnant with him when they arrived from India.[163] Jindal has a younger brother, Nikesh, who is a registered Republican and supported his brother's campaign for governor.[164][165] Nikesh went to Dartmouth College, where he graduated with honors, and then Yale Law School. Nikesh is now a lawyer in Washington, D.C.[160]

Jindal's nickname dates to his childhood identification with an ABC sitcom character. He has said, "Every day after school, I'd come home and I'd watch The Brady Bunch. And I identified with Bobby, you know? He was about my age, and 'Bobby' stuck."[166] He has been known by his nickname ever since, though his legal name remains Piyush Jindal.[167]

In 1997, Jindal married Supriya Jolly who was born in New Delhi, India and moved to Baton Rouge with her parents when she was four years old.[168] They attended the same high school, but Supriya's family moved from Baton Rouge to New Orleans after her freshman year and they did not begin dating until later, when Jindal invited her to a Mardi Gras party after another friend had canceled. Supriya Jindal earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and an M.B.A. degree from Tulane University.[169] She is working on a PhD in marketing at Louisiana State University.[170] She created The Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana's Children, a non-profit organization aimed at improving math and science education in grade schools.[171] They have three children: Selia Elizabeth, Shaan Robert, and Slade Ryan. Shaan was born with a congenital heart defect and had surgery as an infant. The Jindals have been outspoken advocates for children with congenital defects, particularly those without insurance. In 2006, Jindal and his wife delivered their third child at home. Barely able to call 911 before the delivery, Jindal received medical coaching by phone to deliver their eight-pound, 2.5-ounce boy.[172]