Washington DC

Kamala Harris will be the first person with Indian roots to become the US president if she wins against Donald Trump. Her Indian-origin roots have often been highlighted and sometimes scrutinised, with much pomp and fair.

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WION brings you up to speed about the Democrat’s connection to India, sans the drama. 

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Mother India? 

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Harris has time and again invoked her Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan and spoken about the many happy memories she has had with her. The campaign website for Harris also shows images of Gopalan with a little Kamala and Maya, signalling a concerted effort to highlight Harris’s Indian roots. 

Also read: US Elections: Not just Kamala Harris’s mother; Shyamala Gopalan was a trailblazer 

Interestingly, her Jamaican roots, via her father Donald J Harris, do not get as much attention. 

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Childhood travel 

Kamala Harris has noted, specifically in an event with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that her family used to travel to her ancestral village in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai to spend time with grandparents and extended family. 

The Vice President has also frequently elucidated on her love for classic South-Indian dishes. In 2020, she had cooked a dosa with celebrity Mindy Kaling, an act which was both celebrated and scrutinised on social media. 

Enough of an Indian to win? 

As per a survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the percentage of Indian-Americans identifying as Democrats has declined to 47% from 56% in 2020. But the share of Indian-Americans who subscribe to the ideological left has grown since 2020. 

There is a gender gap when it comes to Indians voting for Harris. The survey noted that 67% of Indian-American women support Harris while only 53% of men support her. This shift may be due to Donald Trump’s border policies and Harris’s sharp defence of sexual autonomy for women. 

But, despite the possible disillusionment of Indian-Americans with Kamala Harris, the survey showed a strong sentiment towards Democrats and a consistent disdain of the Republican Party. 

Small but significant voting bloc

There are approximately 5.2 million people of Indian-origin living in the US. Out of this approximately 2.6 million people were eligible to vote.

The overall share of Indian-Americans may be less but the bloc holds a significant hold over American politics. Harris, Nikky Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy were prominent people of Indian-origin in the bid to the White House. 

Rhetoric and reality 

The rhetoric around Kamala Harris being an ‘Indian US President’ is spreading fast in a replay of when she became the Vice President. People in India’s Chennai will be happy if she wins. Indians everywhere may feel represented. 

Also read: US Elections 2024: Where do Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Tim Walz and JD Vance stand on LGBTQIA+ rights?

But the real test of the Democrat’s mettle will be if Americans choose her to lead the country, in an era rife with divisions.