Citizens Point

Introduction

Democrat Kamala Harris is running for President in the 2024 US Presidential elections after incumbent Joe Biden dropped out last month. She is challenging the Republican candidate and former President Donald J. Trump (2017-2021). Known for her prosecutor background, Kamala brings a lot of firsts for US politics. If elected, she would become the first woman to ever lead the country. In addition, she has a diverse racial background with heritage extending to India and Caribbean. 

Kamala’s campaigns have strongly championed the immigrant-friendly image of America, in a stark contrast to Trump’s policies. Although Kamala entered the election race late (only after Joe Biden declined), she has built considerable attention to her cause by leveraging her own identity and background to champion the cause of the American Working class. 

Family 

‘Kamala Harris’ was born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father on 20th October, 1964 in California, United States. Less known to many people is that her first name was ‘Kamala Iyer Harris’ after Shyamala Gopalan (Iyer) and Donald J Harris. Two weeks into her birth, Kamala’s parents changed her name to ‘Kamala Devi Harris’ (short KDH), and this is her official name to this date. The name ‘Devi’ (meaning Goddess in the Hindu Pantheon) denotes the most popular surname for women in India with 70 million instances. Later, ‘Devi’ fell silent in popular media which adopted ‘Kamala Harris’. 

Kamala Harris background  

Kamala’s educational career saw her graduating from Harvard University in 1980’s. During her tenure at Harvard, Kamala became part of a popular ‘Black’ sorority group called ‘Alpha Kappa Alpha’. The impact of this Black identity movement has profoundly shaped Kamala’s identity, and this can also be seen in her past campaigns. In a 2019 interview, Kamala flatly responded to a question on her Asian-African background by saying, “I’m Black, and I’m proud of being Black. I was born Black.” Analysis of her identity suggests that Kamala does not like to be associated with any racial/regional identity, except that she is an American “Black” born to immigrant parents. 

Kamala’s Indian Connection

“Black American” is a term used to refer to the diverse dark-skinned people. While earlier, the term suggested an African descent, Pew Research notes that ‘Black’ in America may also include people from Latin America and Hispanics. While there is no denying the fact that Kamala Harris has an Indian ancestry, she (typically like her mother) is a firm individualist. ‘Black’ identity has a special significance in American history and unlike the recently popular group ‘Indian-American’, the term ‘Black’ accomodates broader communities in the country. Probably, for this reason, Kamala Devi Harris has refrained from using her Indian connection.

Career of Kamala Harris

In a career spanning over 25 years, Kamala Devi Harris started as a deputy district attorney in 1990. Later, she was elected to serve as the Attorney General of California province till the end of 2016. This phase of her life is the most singular aspect of Kamala as she often uses her record of prosecution and reforms as her greatest achievements. In her political speeches, Harris has consistently referred to her ‘high’ record in prosecuting criminals ranging from traffickers, drug cartels, sexual predators, etc. 

Kamala Harris came to limelight in 2004 when she became the district attorney for San Francisco. In 2010, she won the election for California’s attorney general position despite being the underdog. In this election, Kamala Harris showcased her debating skills by crushing her popular opponent in what came to be called as ‘47 seconds that saved Kamala’s Political Career’. Kamala’s work in the field of Criminal Justice reforms, homicide prosecution rate in early career, school truancy, child sex abuse, LGBTQ rights, etc are important highlights. 

In the runup to the 2020 US Presidential Elections, Kamala Devi Harris also put forward her nomination but withdrew in 2019. She endorsed Democrat candidate Joe Biden who was elected after defeating Donald Trump. Remarkably, Kamala became the first woman in the history of the U.S.A. to hold the office of the Vice-President. In case she wins the American Presidential Election (scheduled on 5th November); Kamala Devi Harris will become the first-ever Woman President of the United States of America.

Kamala Harris’s Presidential Campaign

Kamala D. Harris entered into the political arena by announcing her decision to run for Senate from California in 2016. In 2017, she was elected and set the record for being the first South Asian (and the second African-American) to become a U.S. Senator. One of her notable agendas early in her political career included supporting immigrants facing pressure under President Trump’s ban on immigration from several Islamic countries. 

In the runup to the 2024 elections, Kamala Harris Presidential campaign has closely leveraged her previous life “as Attorney General” to connect with the voters. Going through her campaign website kamalaharris.com/issues, there were eight such instances. For instance, “as Attorney General”, Kamala Harris took on “big banks to deliver for homeowners, stood up for veterans and students…”; “stood up for renters and homeowners — as Attorney General of California..”; “prosecuted drug traffickers”; “took on insurance companies and Big Pharma”. 

The issue of affordability of the American middle class has made waves in 2024 Presidential campaigns. Kamala’s website has dedicated more than half of the issues to this section. She has called it “the defining goal of her presidency”. Under “Opportunity economy”, Kamala promises 25 million new businesses by the end of 2028 which includes promotion of Women and minority-owned businesses. She promises tax-cuts on various fronts to lower costs of “everyday needs”, housing and healthcare for the “Middle-class & working” families. This is also appealed by the use of Kamala’s own background as Kamala’s mother was a working class person. In addition, she intends to raise taxes on major companies and MNCs , and rollback tax-cuts on wealthiest Americans.

Speaking about geo-politics, the campaign website calls on ‘China’ including Xi Jinping to convey Kamala’s stance on fair trade and security. There were single mentions of cooperation with Africa and East Asia. But there were no mentions of ‘Taiwan’ or ‘South Asia’. There is a fair amount of content in calling out her opponent Trump on the website. In her most recent campaign, Kamala has promised to roll-back the controversial ‘Roe Vs Wade’ ruling that put a ban on abortions in the US. In addition, she has maintained a fine balancing in calling for gun laws to be regulated in contrast to the US 2nd Amendment which guarantees gun ownership. After tax-cuts, these issues have generated considerable public interest.

Conclusion

The US Presidential Election is important for a variety of reasons. The resolution of ongoing conflicts in the Middle-East and Europe will depend on American policies. In addition, US policy on China has a significant consequence for the South China Sea region. Trade policies of the US still act as the cornerstone of the global economy. 

Kamala Vs Trump has consequences for American politics. Apart from an evolution of American identities, the debate between conservatives and liberals has put forth radically different ideas for the country’s future. Kamala’s campaign faces strong questions on her identity, and it is also the very sentiment that she intends to defeat.