5 minute read
Kamala Harris
Text by AKHIL JOONDEPH Art by SAMANTHA HO
KAMALA HARRIS
A BROWN WOMAN IN A WHITE HOUSE
IN A SMALL INDIAN TOWN, just hours before the first ballots are counted in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a shirtless priest carries a plate filled with lighted candles to a temple altar. The video from NBC News shows the people of Thulasendrapuram, Tamil Nadu, India, gathered in a local shrine, surrounded by clamoring brass bells and fresh flowers, anxiously praying for the success of vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Over 8,000 miles from Washington D.C., the echoes of Harris’ historic nomination — and now victory — can be heard loud and clear.
As a daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris is a woman of many firsts. In 2011, she became both the first African American and the first South Asian American to hold the office of attorney general of California. In 2020, she became the first woman, the first woman of color and the first South Asian American to be nominated for and become vice president of the United States.
Harris’ historic career has struck a chord, particularly with the South Asian community, and her nomination and election as vice president have inspired Desis — those of South Asian descent — across America and around the world.
South Asians at the polls
There are 5.4 million South Asians in the United States, and among them, over 4 million Indian Americans. Having an Indian American candidate on the ballot and in the White House has in-
spired many South Asian Americans to take ident, leading some to feel as though Harris to the polls and vote. overemphasizes her Black roots while for-
“It’s really exciting to people,” for- getting about her Indian ones. mer Palo Alto City Council candidate Ajit However, many younger South Asians, Varma said. “I know a lot of people in the including Palo Alto High School junior South Asian community that have been Rohini Bharat say that Harris’ mixed roots more involved in politics than I’ve ever seen boost her appeal. before.” “It just adds on that she’s mixed-race
According to the Los Angeles Times, because she has a different perspective than Indian Americans alone donated over $1.2 us,” Bharat said. “I think that is really immillion to the Biden campaign during the portant to celebrate.” 20 days after he announced Harris as his running mate. In contrast, Indian Ameri- An inspiration to many cans raised $3 million for all of the Dem- Despite objections to Harris in some ocratic candidates combined during the niches of the South Asian community, seeentirety of the primary races. ing the vice president-elect embrace and
On the campaign trail, Harris empha- emphasize her background has excited and sized her Indian upbringing and how her inspired many young South Asian AmeriTamil mother played a profound role in cans. shaping her values and beliefs. Varma mentioned how seeing an In-
“My mother instilled in my sister dian American at the forefront of politics, Maya and me the values that would chart the course of our lives,” Harris said as she accepted the nomination for vice president in August. “It’s really inspiring… to see someone with a similar upbringing or a very white-dominated field, is an important step towards diversity. “There are very few South
In addition to her similar perspective Asians represented South Asian roots, Harris’ social policies align with in that position.” in politics … so I think that it [the many of the values held by South Asians, especial— ROHINI BHARAT, junior vice presidency] is really good,” Varly in the Bay Area, further ma said. boosting her popularity among the com- Bharat also noted her excitement at munity. seeing a vice president with similar values
“I think a lot of her social policies align to herself. very well in terms of equality and represen- “It’s really inspiring … to see someone tation,” Varma said. with a similar upbringing or similar perspective in that position,” Bharat said. Not just South Asian Junior Anaya Bhatt described how see-
While many South Asians have liberal ing a South Asian woman at the political views, a strong conservative Desi minority forefront has shown her that the possibility flourishes in America. of being a politician in the future is very
The vice president-elect’s stances on real. Indian politics have earned her harsh crit- “I would be interested in one day icism within this community. Her objec- maybe running for office,” Bhatt said. “It tions to Indian anti-Muslim policies like was nice to see someone actually somethe 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act have what aligned with what I believe in. … I led some Hindu Americans to go as far as to think she definitely is very inspiring in that label her as “anti-India” and a supporter of sense.” an “anti-Hindu brigade.” Palo Alto resident Sharmin Maharaj
Conservative South Asians have also also felt the same, and discussed how she expressed issues with Harris’ emphasis of hopes future generations will have role her African American roots. models like Harris to follow.
The vice-president has highlighted her “There is always hope,” Maharaj said. identity as a Black woman throughout her “If she [Harris] can do it, our grandkids can campaigns for both president and vice-pres- do it too.” v
THEY SEE BLUE
Founded in 2018 by four South Asian Bay Area residents, They See Blue is a grassroots organization aiming to mobilize South Asian voters for Democratic candidates. Since 2018, the organization has grown to over 4,000 members and led many successful campaigns and fundraisers.
In 2018, the organization directed its efforts toward three House seats in the Central Valley in an effort to flip them from Republican to Democrat. Due in part to the mobilization of South Asian voters by They See Blue, two of the three Democratic campaigns were successful and the third, while unsuccessful in flipping the seat, saw the margin between candidates narrow by 30 percentage points.
In 2020, They See Blue focused on the re-election campaigns of both of the candidates they helped elect to the House in 2018, as well as supporting Joe Biden in the presidential race. The organization also spent time campaigning in Georgia in November to raise support for Democrats John Ossof and Raphael Warnock in the runoff election, in an attempt to flip the Senate.
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CHAPTERS IN DIFFERENT STATES 200,000
PHONE CALLS MADE
400,000
TEXT MESSAGES SENT
1.3 MILLION
