"We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won't, and then you need to kick that f‑‑‑ing door down,” Harris said at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership summit held May 13.
The audeince made up of emerging AANHPI leaders broke into applause and cheers.
"Excuse my language," she added.
“She’s passionate about what she fights for. She is. And I think it’s important to have someone who’s passionate about what they’re speaking about,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday,
Jean-Pierre also praised Harris as “someone who has broken glass ceilings,” adding she is “proud to have her as someone I look up to as vice president.” Harris has been scrutinized by critics who contend her language was unbefitting of her office.
"And they would, every morning, gather — these, you know, old men, who were very smart and very knowledgeable, and they would take their walk. And I would hold my grandfather’s hand, and I was the one who was able to go on the walk with him.
"And my grandfather and his friends would passionately debate the importance of democracy and a government that treated people equally and with fairness and was — and a government that was not corrupt. And — and that’s — that influenced my life in more ways than I can ever explain, even though I didn’t realize it at the time. And all of that had an impact, then, on what I decided to do with my life.
"My mother — when she arrived in the United States, she automatically, given who my grandfather was and about the fight for independence in India, my grand- — my mother, then, of course — you might kno- — know this in retrospect took to the streets to march for civil rights in her sari (laughter)," she said.
"So, here’s the thing about breaking barriers. Breaking barriers does not mean you start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side. There’s breaking involved. And when you break things, you get cut and you may bleed. And it is worth it every time. Every time."
Harris went on: "And so, to especially the young people here, I say to you: When you walk in those rooms being the only one that looks like you, the only one with your background, you walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back. Be it a meeting room, a boardroom, a courtroom, a hearing room, you walk in those rooms knowing that we are all in that room with you, applauding you on and expecting certain things from you, including that you will not be silent in those rooms and that we expect that from you because we also expect that you will internalize and know we’re there with you. And so, your voice can be strong."
Harris continued her underlying theme to go beyond words and social media and the need for postive action to institute change, sounding much like the late labor leader Larry Itliong, One of his famous quotes said: “The Constitution said that everybody has equal rights and justice. You have to make that come about. They are not going to give it to you.”
Harris continued: "I’ll talk about my lived experience. It — that also taught me that you have to fight for — for rights for everybody. And you have to be in the fight. You can’t — you can’t sit it out. Right?
"And that’s — that’s part of what I — that’s certainly how I was raised: You can’t sit it out and — because you know how inequity happens, you know what happens when systems create displaced power or when systems are — are suppressing the rights of other people. You know? And — and so, that’s part of how I was raised as well."
The vice president made her comments in a conversation at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit where she was being interviewed by Jimmy O. Yang.
Conservative media like the NY Post, Washington Examiner jumped on her language as beneath the office. Some meainstream media also got sucked into the fray with headlines like: "Harris utters a profanity ...." or "Vice President drops the F-bomb."
Conservative media like the NY Post, Washington Examiner jumped on her language as beneath the office. Some meainstream media also got sucked into the fray with headlines like: "Harris utters a profanity ...." or "Vice President drops the F-bomb."
Surprisingly, the White House didn't try to dance around Harris' advice and instead, embraced it.
“She’s passionate about what she fights for. She is. And I think it’s important to have someone who’s passionate about what they’re speaking about,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday,
Jean-Pierre also praised Harris as “someone who has broken glass ceilings,” adding she is “proud to have her as someone I look up to as vice president.” Harris has been scrutinized by critics who contend her language was unbefitting of her office.
In the interview, Harris, the first Asian AMerican Vice President, also talked about her upbringing that included visits to India and walks with her grandfather as major influences on her life.
"And I, as the eldest grandchild, had the honor among anyone in our family of being invited my — by my grandfather to take his morning walk with his retired buddies," continued Harris, who used to visit her family in India during the summers."And they would, every morning, gather — these, you know, old men, who were very smart and very knowledgeable, and they would take their walk. And I would hold my grandfather’s hand, and I was the one who was able to go on the walk with him.
"And my grandfather and his friends would passionately debate the importance of democracy and a government that treated people equally and with fairness and was — and a government that was not corrupt. And — and that’s — that influenced my life in more ways than I can ever explain, even though I didn’t realize it at the time. And all of that had an impact, then, on what I decided to do with my life.
"My mother — when she arrived in the United States, she automatically, given who my grandfather was and about the fight for independence in India, my grand- — my mother, then, of course — you might kno- — know this in retrospect took to the streets to march for civil rights in her sari (laughter)," she said.
"So, here’s the thing about breaking barriers. Breaking barriers does not mean you start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side. There’s breaking involved. And when you break things, you get cut and you may bleed. And it is worth it every time. Every time."
Harris went on: "And so, to especially the young people here, I say to you: When you walk in those rooms being the only one that looks like you, the only one with your background, you walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back. Be it a meeting room, a boardroom, a courtroom, a hearing room, you walk in those rooms knowing that we are all in that room with you, applauding you on and expecting certain things from you, including that you will not be silent in those rooms and that we expect that from you because we also expect that you will internalize and know we’re there with you. And so, your voice can be strong."
Harris continued her underlying theme to go beyond words and social media and the need for postive action to institute change, sounding much like the late labor leader Larry Itliong, One of his famous quotes said: “The Constitution said that everybody has equal rights and justice. You have to make that come about. They are not going to give it to you.”
Harris continued: "I’ll talk about my lived experience. It — that also taught me that you have to fight for — for rights for everybody. And you have to be in the fight. You can’t — you can’t sit it out. Right?
"And that’s — that’s part of what I — that’s certainly how I was raised: You can’t sit it out and — because you know how inequity happens, you know what happens when systems create displaced power or when systems are — are suppressing the rights of other people. You know? And — and so, that’s part of how I was raised as well."
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.
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