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SCREEN CAPTURE / MSNBC Kamala Harris honored her Indian American mother in her speech Saturday. |
So often seen as foreigners, the Americanization of Asian Americans reached a new zenith Saturday as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris proclaimed, "This is our moment."
Indian American Devi Harris made history Saturday morning (Nov. 7), as she and President-elect Joe Biden made their victory speeches in a Wilmington, Delaware parking lot full of their cheering supporters who honked their car horns in addition to applauding.
“She becomes the first Indian American and Black American ever to be elected Vice President of the U.S.," said Neil Makhija, Executive Director of IMPACT in a prepared statement.
“A generation of Indian Americans made this country their home because they knew it meant anything was possible for their children. Today, the daughter of one of those Indian Americans proved their faith. It is with pride, hope, and enduring faith in America that we congratulate Vice President-elect Kamala Devi Harris on her historic victory,” said Makhija. “Her election sends a message to a new generation of young Black and Brown children that they belong, and that in America, anything is possible. Her election will supercharge the political engagement of the Indian American community.”
IMPACT raised a record $10 million which doubled turnout of South Asian voters in critical states, including Pennsylvania and Arizona, according to Makhija.
In her victory speech, Harris recalled her late mother, an immigrant who came from India to study at the University of California, Berkeley.
"To the woman most responsible for my presence here today — my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who is always in our hearts." said Harris.
“She maybe didn’t imagine quite this moment,” Harris said of her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris. “But she believed so deeply in America where a moment like this is possible, and so I am thinking about her and about the generations of women, Black women, (when she paused strategically to receive loud applause before continuing) Asian, white, Latina, Native American women — who throughout our nation’s history have paved the way for this moment — women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all.”
Indian American venture capitalist Shelly Kapoor Collins, a friend of Harris from California's Silicon Valley, told India-West: “As an Indian American woman, I am just elated. This is our moment,” she said echoing Harris' comments.
“Kamala Devi Harris has shattered the glass ceiling for all women, but with the help of a male ally. Men and women need to be door openers for women,” said Harris, dressed in all white, the color worn by the suffragettes who helped pass the 19th Amendement giving women the right to vote.
“The other side must now let the country heal,” said Kapoor Collins, referring to Trump’s avowal to challenge election results in court.
“Kamala Devi Harris has shattered the glass ceiling for all women, but with the help of a male ally. Men and women need to be door openers for women,” said Harris, dressed in all white, the color worn by the suffragettes who helped pass the 19th Amendement giving women the right to vote.
“The other side must now let the country heal,” said Kapoor Collins, referring to Trump’s avowal to challenge election results in court.
Biden became the winner after three days of ballot counting that saw him at first fall behind Donald Trump and then steadily move ahead in the Electoral College count and the popular vote. For several days he remained at 253 Electoral votes as ballots were counted in Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Alaska and Nevada.
When Pennsylvania completed its count of all the mail-in ballots Saturday morning, the state's 20 Elctoral votes put Biden over 270 votes needed to have a majority. Trump remained at 214 Electoral votes Saturday, about 4-million total individual votes behind Biden.
Before Tuesday, almost two-thirds of AAPI eligible voters said they were going to vote for Biden.
Acknowledging the historic moment, Harris said, "But while I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last.
"Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.
"And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message:Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before.
"And we will applaud you every step of the way," said Harris.
"It sends a message about what kind of country we are today," said Manisha Sinha, a professor of American history at the University of Connecticut. "An interracial democracy that represents people, men and women, from all over the globe. I think that's a very good thing for American democracy. And for me personally, it gives me a sense of national belonging that may not have been there before to some extent," she told NPR.
Celebrations broke out spontaneously in several U.S. cities as people danced in the streets for joy. Paris church bells rang and fireworks exploded over London in celebration of Biden's victory.
Acknowledging the historic moment, Harris said, "But while I may be the first woman in this office, I won’t be the last.
"Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.
"And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message:Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before.
"And we will applaud you every step of the way," said Harris.
"It sends a message about what kind of country we are today," said Manisha Sinha, a professor of American history at the University of Connecticut. "An interracial democracy that represents people, men and women, from all over the globe. I think that's a very good thing for American democracy. And for me personally, it gives me a sense of national belonging that may not have been there before to some extent," she told NPR.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.
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