‘Upper Caste’, ‘Top Cop’ Harris Under Scrutiny on Social Media

The Biden-Harris 2020 ticket saw voices of dissent by the Black and Brown ‘progressive democratic’ community.

On Tuesday, 11 August, Kamala Harris was chosen to be presumptive Democratic Candidate Joe Biden's running mate and vice president candidate. This makes Harris the first Black woman and the first Indian-American on a major party presidential ticket in the United States.

Along with some ecstatic voices on social media celebrating the Biden-Harris 2020 ticket were voices of dissent among the Black and Brown 'progressive democratic' community.

'Soft on Police' Reputation

Amidst the largest 'Black Lives Matter' protest movement in American history against racial policing, some attacked Harris' self-proclaimed role as California's as 'top cop' during her stint as the state's attorney general from 2011 to 2017.

We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a “top cop” and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump.

The contempt for the base is, wow.

— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) August 11, 2020

Some of the most serious charges against her from this time are that she “fought hard to keep innocents in prison and failed to fight hard against corrupt cops,” reports say.

y’all better not forget pic.twitter.com/F47W1AESDB

— dallas (@abhorrent_ansel) August 11, 2020

It has been alleged that during her time as Orange County and San Francisco district attorney, Harris turned a blind eye to 'dirty cops'.

During her tenure, there was the infamous 'snitch scandal' within law enforcement, which reportedly revealed deputies and prosecutors misusing jailhouse informants to extract confessions.

Harris is alleged to have completely abandoned her office's investigation into the scandal when she became senator in 2017.

'We are Brahmins, that is the top caste', said Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris

South Asian Americans, too, came out in criticism of Harris on social media, citing her upper-caste Brahmin Hindu ancestry.

In a 2003 interview, Shayamala Gopalan, Harris' mother was quoted saying "In Indian society we go by birth. We are Brahmins, that is the top caste. Please do not confuse this with class, which is only about money. For Brahmins, the bloodline is the most important. My family, named Gopalan, goes back more than 1,000 years.”

"Representation is what people settle for when they've given up on transformation. Representation is a sop to those turned away from the table of justice," tweeted South Asian American author Shailja Patel. "We have to demand more. We have to believe we deserve more."

Solidarity to Black and South Asian people who are being told that we must feel proud right now, to hold the frustration of political representation in our bellies, lest we miss the celebration of a diverse empire

— derecka (@dereckapurnell) August 11, 2020

India's infatuation with Harris rn is a perfect example of how significant a role caste still plays within the Indian minset, and that the progressive kids equally perpetuate and retain it also cause most of them come from upper class backgrounds.

Barf!

— Arukshita Kaushal (@ArukshitaK) August 12, 2020

This @KamalaHarris ticket is going to activate all the basic upper caste South Asian energy oh Lord https://t.co/lxjSmermc7

— Sharmin Hossain (@sharminultra) August 11, 2020

Representation is what people settle for when they've given up on transformation. Representation is a sop to those turned away from the table of justice. We have to imagine more. We have to demand more. We have to believe we deserve more. #KamlaHarris

— Shailja Patel (@shailjapatel) August 11, 2020

this our representation? no thanks pic.twitter.com/RfU28ENfKp

— ¡aliya! (@akh776) August 11, 2020