It's official. Presumptive Democratic Candidate has chosen California Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate in the 2020 US elections.
A one-time primary rival to Biden, Harris has built a reputation of an unyielding antagonist of the Trump administration.
Reflective of an inclusive America, Kamala Harris is a bi-racial candidate born to immigrant parents – a Jamaican father and an Indian mother.
If elected, Harris will be the first woman, and the first-ever Black and South Asian Vice-President in American history. Not only that, Harris is also the first Black woman and first Asian American person to be on any major US party’s presidential ticket.
This is how the Indian-Americans celebrated the announcement:
“Harris knows the Black American experience. She knows the South Asian American experience. She knows the immigrant experience. She knows the aspirational power of the American dream. She is the running mate for this moment,” writes Neil Makhija, the executive director of IMPACT, an Indian-American advocacy group.
"You can't know Kamala Harris without knowing who her mother was," tweeted Maya Harris, her sister. "Missing her terribly, but know she and the ancestors are smiling today."
Women, Black & South Asian Communities Celebrate
Former Chairman & CEO of Pepsico, Indra Nooyi, took to Twitter to say that she is “truly excited” for Kamala.
Indian-American actor Mindy Kaling said that it was an “exciting day” for the entire country.
“Was there ever more of an exciting day? For our entire country of course, but especially for my Black and Indian sisters, many of us who have gone our entire lives thinking that someone who looks like us may never hold high office?” asks actress and writer, Mindy Kaling on Twitter, echoing the sentiments of many young women of colour in America.
"What an electric moment for the Indian-American community! Indian-Americans are now truly a mainstream community in the national fabric," MR Rangaswami, an eminent Indian-American and the founder of Indiaspora, told news agency PTI.
According to NDTV, Harris' supporters on Tuesday announced to launch a nationwide campaign "America mein Khila Kamal (Lotus blooms in the US)".
However, not all from the community are were as happy with Kamala Harris's nomination.
“Yes, there will be initial excitement and confusion for a few weeks amongst the Indian Americans - debating whether to vote for Biden due to Kamala Harris being of Indian Heritage or voting for Trump, who has been great for India-US relations. There is and there will be a lot of hustling by the Biden-Harris combo for the Indian-American votes in the battleground states,” Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, told PTI.
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