Kamala Harris: The Power of Change

I’m an immigrant woman in the United States and feeling truly overjoyed celebrating the historic inauguration of Kamala Harris as the new Vice President. Not because she too has some south Asian connection but considering the significance of this legendary moment in American history, and the history of the world. This was a moment when the world witnessed the power of change and hope.

 Harris’s presence in the most powerful rooms in Washington is significant for reasons beyond symbolism. She signifies the freedom to dream and epitomizes the power of possibilities. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” I believe this is true. 

As President Biden said in his speech, “Here we stand, looking out on the great Mall where Dr. King spoke of his dream. Here we stand, where 108 years ago, at another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote. And today we marked the swearing-in of the first woman in American history elected to national office: Vice President Kamala Harris. Don’t tell me things can’t change.”

In a country like the USA, a melting pot of cultures and races, ethnicity cannot be recognized in black and white. That is why Harris’s victory is a milestone for the people who represent more than one culture and one race and acknowledgment of their struggle in a multiracial society.

Especially, girls of mixed races will now have someone in a position of power who looks like them. 

Harris and her family are the symbols of the underrepresented: She is the Black and Asian daughter of immigrants, married to a Jewish man. Her election is a reminder that American families in 2020 often look quite different from those that have been depicted in the media and on the political stage. Having a woman as the Vice President will inspire other women and girls in America to achieve their dreams. They know how they can do anything they set their minds to. Like the new Vice President Harris said in her barrier-breaking victory speech – “I may be the first, but I will not be the last”.