I am often fascinated when I reflect upon all of the events that have happened in our country while I have been alive and on this planet.
My generation has lived through many historical events. Although we may not remember some, we can still say that we were alive. I am only about to turn 20 in February and America has experienced many events such as 9/11, the first African-American president, advancements in technology, a recession, a global pandemic and now the first female president.
The first presidential election I remember was back in 2008. I was in second grade and I remember my teacher explaining what the election meant and what the role of the president was. I remember learning that there was yet to be a female president. As an 8-year older girl who still believed that boys were gross and had “cooties,” my girl fellow classmates and I questioned our teacher with disappointment as to why no woman had ever been in office. My teacher told us that maybe one day it would be one of us in the office leading our country.
Fast forward to 12 years later in the first election in which I am allowed to vote, and there is a woman on the ballot. She was elected to be the vice president of the United States.
Harris breaks many barriers. Kamala Harris is an American politician and attorney who is the junior United States senator from California. She has spent her life crashing through glass ceilings and accumulating “firsts.” She was the first female district attorney of San Francisco, the first female attorney general of California, the first Indian American in the US Senate, the first Indian American candidate of a major party to run for vice-president. Soon she will become the first female vice-president. If Joe Biden only serves one term, there is a chance that in 2024 she could become the first black female president.
Harris was born in Oakland, California to Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, an economist from Jamaica. Harris’s parents were both immigrants. I learned all of this information when Harris was nominated back in August as much discussion started on social and traditional media about her background and biracial identity as the daughter of an Indian immigrant mother and a Jamaican immigrant father. With each piece of information, I have learned from Harris I just kept getting more and more amazed. I think that having someone so diverse in office is going to change our country for the better.
For years, Harris has been identified as a black woman in the public eye. Her south Asian identity is rarely identified until recently in media coverage. Harris has a very historic nature and I think her being in office means so much to south Asian American women as well as women of color. As a woman myself, I am excited to see how her role in office impacts and many women in our country. Harris once said “When we lift up women, you lift up families. you lift up communities, you lift up economies.”
Harris is a disruptor. We have had many great presidents and politicians come and go but I think Harris is a great role model and influence for young girls and women around the world and also people of all different races and cultures. Excitement has already been shown as she was elected the vice president with many posts of young girls and people of coloring cheering of joy.
2020 has been such a significant year with all of the events America has experienced and I think Harris being elected as vice president has really topped it off, making this year and election one to never be forgotten. This is the beginning of a great era and I believe that we will start to have a lot more diversity not only in politics but also in
other careers and leadership roles in our community.
