Kamala Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, experienced a significant setback in her political career when she lost to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, in the presidential election.
The Democratic leader’s defeat in this fiercely contested race dashed her aspirations of becoming the first female President of the United States.
However, at 60 years old, Harris has achieved other notable milestones. She served as the district attorney for San Francisco, making history as the first woman, the first African-American, and the first individual of Indian descent to hold that office.
As vice president, she has also made history as the first woman to occupy this role, and she is the first African-American and Indian-American individual to achieve this distinction.
In an opinion piece published three days prior to the November 5 election, Harris reflected on her childhood visits to India and paid tribute to her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who was a cancer researcher and civil rights advocate.
Harris reflected on her upbringing, stating that her mother instilled in her and her sister a deep appreciation for their cultural heritage. “Almost every other year, we traveled to India to celebrate Diwali, where we cherished moments with our grandparents, uncles, and ‘chitthis’ (aunts),” she shared in an article for The Juggernaut, a digital publication focused on South Asian issues.
She expressed her belief that Americans desire a president who serves the interests of all citizens. “This has been the essence of my entire career,” she remarked.
Harris received a significant opportunity when President Joe Biden withdrew from his reelection campaign in July, following a lackluster performance in a nationally broadcast debate against Trump. Biden subsequently endorsed her as the party’s nominee for the upcoming election.
Her nomination realized her long-held aspirations for the presidency, which she had set aside prior to the 2019 primaries due to insufficient campaign funding.
Biden selected her as his running mate in 2016, making her only the third woman to be nominated for vice president by a major political party.
Additionally, she was one of just three Asian Americans serving in the Senate and the first Indian-American to hold a position in that legislative body.
Harris has drawn comparisons to Barack Obama, the nation’s inaugural Black President.
