For Indian-American girls and women like myself, Kamala Harris’ election to the second-most powerful seat in the United States goes deeper than simply just being the first ever female Vice President-Elect.
Her election gives young girls and women of color representation. She serves as an inspiration for women – especially those who look like me – to engage in politics and continue to break those ceilings & barriers that are very much present in our society.
Hearing the news of Kamala Harris and Joe Bidens’ victory brought me to tears. At first, I couldn’t understand this burst of emotion that I was feeling, but it finally hit me.
The world was finally seeing a woman of color near the pinnacle of American power.
As a first generation American like Harris herself, whose parents immigrated from India, watching her secure this historic election felt as if we had just won a lifetime battle of fighting to be seen in this country; especially in a male-dominated career with very little representation of individuals of color, let alone women of color.
In her first speech as Vice President-Elect, she stated “while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”
Those words could not be any more true.
For the last four years we lived in country that empowered people to show their racism nakedly. A place where acts of violence were being condoned by our leader and immigrants & individuals of color were being told we didn’t belong.
Biden and Harris’ election embodies a message of hope & unity, and I couldn’t be prouder and more thrilled to have someone that looks like me in the White House.
