Kamala Harris is the Vice Presidential pick for Joe Biden, who challenges Trump in the 2020 US presidential election. To say that the Trump presidency has been mired with controversy would be an understatement. However, despite the pandemic and it’s effect on the US and (largely owed to the current Federal Government) and the racial justice protests (which seem to be countering the previous rise of white supremacist nationalism), President Trump continues to have his stronghold on the US population. No one is quite sure how to put a finger on this dichotomy even today.  

The global rise of nationalism, anti-immigrant sentiments, and populism was outlined as cyclic and expected by pundits following the recession, but the last five years have also seen MeToo, women’s marches, a global rise in gender right awareness, progress of transgender rights, and off-course, Black Lives Matter. Social justice seems to be of importance -but, so seems to be fiscal conservatism. 

The Biden-Harris ticket is of supreme importance, therefore, not just for what the future holds in terms of the US and global policies (for example the Paris climate agreement that Trump walked out of, and NATO and NAFTA discussions), but also for a socio-cultural understanding. 

But what does Kamala need to be at this moment? A woman (to reinvigorate the enthusiasm of the first woman presidency for the US with the first woman vice president alternative)? An African American (to ensure Black Lives Matter momentum thrives)? An Indian American (to help plug into the voter base which might boast Silicon Valley credentials but has been largely non-existent in mainstream American politics and policies)? Or an immigrant offspring (to retell the story that is being fiercely pushed back on – immigration brings enrichment)? 

Senator Harris, born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, identifies with being both African-American and Indian-American, but she has been more the former than the latter. News reports in 2019 had noted that it was only recently that she had started attending Indian-American events. The black community claims her as its own and hopes for her to continue the legacy of the Obamas. The same can’t be said about her association with the Indian community – eager and impatient to claim her. 

To be fair to Senator Harris, there are obvious factors that have much more to do with this. A total of 12.7 percent of the US population is black, making African-Americans the largest racial minority group in the US; Indian-Americans make up around 1.3 percent. And although Asian Americans claim a higher percentage (6.9); unlike the African-American population, the Asian communities have rarely had synergy in issues and policies (or even as a community).

This is compounded with the deeper and longer-running history the US has had with race, primarily it’s black population. The high rate of youth incarceration, poverty, lack of education and employment opportunities, and police shootings have come to a flashpoint. But unfortunately, immigration has remained the thorn it became with the rise of nationalism.

To be accurate, even in the nation made of immigrants – immigration always was a thorn. Specific immigrant groups were targeted following events (from world war II to Vietnam war and from Sikhs post 9/11 to Latinos and H1B workers – read mostly Indian and Chinese – for job losses). Not too different from what happens in India. Now, post-COVID, job losses, and the potential of jobs being inaccessible to US natives (read primarily Caucasians) have caused Trump to issue visa and residency suspension orders. Texas has had an incident of hate mail to H1B holders and life threats issued. However, this hasn’t necessarily caused an overwhelming rise in sympathy for the immigrants – either here or in their home countries. And this is, unfortunately, a universal and eternal narrative for immigrants. So especially in these times of crises, going for Indian interests (still largely marginal and mostly immigrant – namely tech-sector employment, visa-sponsorship opportunities, and religious expression) will potentially not serve the Biden ticket well. 

In addition, the political history of Indian origin candidates hasn’t been of much glory here in the US, although success stories like Nikki Hailey and now Kamala Harris and Tulsi Gabbard (who is a Hindu but of Samoan origin) have dotted the political narratives from time to time. Most recently, in the 2016 presidential race, Republican nominee Bobby Jindal caused quite an embarrassment to both the Indian diaspora and the white Americans by going out of his way to disassociate himself from his Indian heritage. The conscious (and subconscious) effort of distancing from the community is not uncommon amongst Indian immigrant political hopefuls. Despite what the Indian community in the US would like to believe, running as a proud Indian descendant will not lead to winning the US Presidential election. Yet. 

In the Indian community, Kamala Harris nomination definitely brings out Indian pride, but also some clear divides. While the elder diaspora organizations and the elderly feel this is a ‘proud’ moment, the younger lot is more pragmatic. An IT professional says Kamala’s Indian descent is meaningless. It’s the policies she pushes for that will really determine support. Another woman doubted if, in this current climate (vis-à-vis immigration), Kamala would be able to put forward, let alone implement policies that matter to her, namely H4 holders to be able to work.

What calls for excitement however is the fact that Kamala Harris’s identity as a woman, at least for now, is not getting split into sections putting gender in the back burner like it often happens. Black women vs. white women – Hindu women vs. Muslim women – native women vs. immigrant women – the common denominator causes take a backseat and differentiating experiences comes under the spotlight – causing a slow but sure disservice to gender rights. In every nation. 

Senator Kamala Harris’s selection was noted to be spot on by pundits. The angst among the Democratic voters in the US as well as the fiscally conservative social liberals about the Trump presidency is answered well with Kamala being a woman and black. The other two aspects of her: being a second-generation immigrant and an Indian American – unfortunately, might be hit, or miss.

About the author

Tanushree Ghosh works in technology and has a Doctorate in Chemistry from the Cornell University. She is also a social activist and writer. She is a contributor (past and present) to several popular e-zines incl. The Huffington Post US The Logical Indian, Tribune India, Women’s Web, Thrive Global, Cafe Dissensus. Her literary resume includes poems and stories featured in national and international magazines (Words Pauses and Noises, UK; TUCK, The Pangolin Review, Glimmer Train Honorable mention) as well as inclusion in seven anthologies such as Defiant Dreams (Oprah 2016 reading list placeholder) and The Best Asian Short Stories 2017 (published out of Singapore by Kitaab). Her first single author book From An-Other Land(Readomania publishing, India) was featured in the NPR, USA. She is the founder and director of Her Rights Inc, a 501(3) c non-profit committed to furthering the cause of gender equality.

Note: Celebrating diversity and inclusion with Senator Harris’s apointment, From An-Other Land Kindle is currently on sale. Read a global narration of the current social turmoils. 

Featured image source: Senator Kamala Harris, presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee, during a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, US. (Bloomberg)