Jonah Patel
Kamala Harris is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. She was the first female U.S. vice president, the first African-American, and the first Asian-American vice president. Harris was born in Oakland, California, on October 20, 1964, to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, making her of Indian and Jamaican nationality. Harris's biracial identity has been a notable aspect of her public life and political career, with her historic candidacy as a mixed-race woman being a significant topic of discussion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kamala Devi Harris |
| Date of Birth | October 20, 1964 |
| Place of Birth | Oakland, California U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political Party | Democratic Party |
| Profession | Politician and Attorney |
| Parents | Shyamala Gopalan and Donald J. Harris |
| Ethnicity | Biracial, Black, and Asian |
| Education | Howard University, University of California, Hastings College of the Law |
| Political Career | U.S. Senator from California (2017-2021), Attorney General of California (2011-2017), 49th Vice President of the U.S. (2021-2025) |
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What You'll Learn
- Kamala Harris's parents were immigrants from Jamaica and India
- Harris is the first woman to be vice president of the United States
- Harris is the first Black person to be vice president of the United States
- Harris is the first Asian American to be vice president of the United States
- Harris's biracial identity has been questioned by conservative pundits
Kamala Harris's parents were immigrants from Jamaica and India
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, serving from 2021 to 2025, is the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India. Harris was born in Oakland, California, and grew up in a working-class town and a once-thriving African American enclave known as the birthplace of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Harris's parents, Donald J. Harris and Shyamala Gopalan, met as students at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1962. Gopalan, Harris's mother, came from India to study nutrition and endocrinology, while her father, Donald Harris, was from Jamaica. The two met as part of a Black student group, and Harris's mother, though not Black, was welcomed as a person of colour. The couple married in 1963, and their first daughter, Kamala, was born in 1964, followed by their second daughter, Maya, in 1966.
Harris's parents lived in college towns in the Midwest, where they held teaching and research positions. However, by 1970, the marriage had ended, and Shyamala moved back to Berkeley with her two daughters. The couple divorced in 1972, and although the children were raised mainly by their mother, they spent weekends at their father's house in Palo Alto. In 1976, Shyamala accepted a research position at the McGill University School of Medicine and moved with her daughters to Montreal, Quebec. Harris graduated from Westmount High School on Montreal Island in 1981.
Harris's birth certificate has been used to discredit her Indian and Jamaican heritage. Online posts claim that the birth certificate proves she is not of Asian American or Black Jamaican heritage, pointing to the listing of her mother's race as "Caucasian." However, these posts misinterpret historical racial classifications, conflating "Caucasian" with "white." Anthropologists once considered Europeans and Indians to be part of the Caucasian race, and in 1923, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that Caucasian is not the same as white. The racial classification for Indians has changed over time, and the term "Caucasian" may have been the closest option available to Harris's mother at the time.
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Harris is the first woman to be vice president of the United States
Kamala Devi Harris, born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, is the first woman to be vice president of the United States. Harris is also the first Black American and the first Asian American to hold the post. She is of mixed-race descent, with her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, emigrating from India to the United States in 1958 to pursue graduate studies in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. Gopalan went on to become a renowned breast cancer researcher. Harris's father, Donald J. Harris, emigrated from British Jamaica in 1961 and also enrolled at UC Berkeley, specialising in development economics. He was the first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department.
Harris's biracial identity has been a topic of public discussion, with some questioning the authenticity of her Black or Asian identities. Despite this, her victory as the first female vice president was celebrated by many as a milestone for gender equality and the recognition of leadership exhibited by Black women. Harris herself acknowledged the significance of her election, stating that while she may be the first woman in this office, she won't be the last. She dedicated her victory to the generations of women who fought for equality, liberty, and justice.
Harris's political career began in 2011 when she became the attorney general of California, serving in this role until 2017. In 2017, she was sworn in as a United States senator representing California, becoming the second African-American woman and the first South Asian-American senator in history. During her time in the Senate, Harris served on several committees, including the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence. She also worked to defend California's climate change law and helped win marriage equality for all Californians.
In 2020, Harris's historic selection as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate was announced, making her the first Black woman and the first Asian-American woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket. She served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. As vice president, Harris addressed issues such as migration from Latin America to the US southern border and advocated for the protection of voting rights and women's access to reproductive healthcare.
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Harris is the first Black person to be vice president of the United States
Kamala Devi Harris, born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, is the first Black person to be vice president of the United States. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a biologist who immigrated to the United States from India in 1958. Her father, Donald J. Harris, is an Afro-Jamaican who immigrated to the United States in 1961. Harris's parents met in 1962, married in 1963, and lived in Berkeley until they moved in 1966, around Harris's second birthday.
Harris's racial and cultural background has been a topic of discussion and speculation during her public life in politics. She has been referred to as a chameleon by political opponents, and there has been questioning of her Black heritage and whether she has shifted how she presents her racial roots for convenience. However, Harris's identity as a biracial woman has also been celebrated by her supporters, who have turned critiques into positive political memes.
Harris's historic achievement as the first Black person to hold the vice presidency is significant, given the United States' long history of slavery, legal and social apartheid, and denial of equal representation to Black Americans. Harris's election as the first Black vice president represents a milestone in the nation's march toward a more perfect union.
In addition to being the first Black vice president, Harris also made history as the first female vice president and the first person of South Asian heritage to hold the office. She is the second biracial vice president, following Charles Curtis, a Native American and member of the Kaw Nation, who served as vice president from 1929 to 1933. Harris's election as the first Black person to hold the vice presidency is a testament to her popularity, especially among a younger, media-savvy electorate.
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Harris is the first Asian American to be vice president of the United States
Kamala Devi Harris, born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, is the first Asian American to be vice president of the United States. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, emigrated from India to pursue graduate studies in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1958. Gopalan went on to become a prominent breast cancer researcher. Harris's father, Donald J. Harris, emigrated from British Jamaica in 1961 to study economics at the same university. He became the first Black scholar to receive tenure at Stanford University's economics department.
Harris's parents met in 1962 and married in 1963. The family lived in Berkeley until 1966, when they moved to Oakland, California, when Harris was around two years old. Harris's mother filed for divorce in 1970, and she moved with her two daughters back to Berkeley. Harris's father accepted a position at Stanford University in 1972, and the girls spent weekends at his house in Palo Alto while living with their mother during the week.
Harris's biracial identity has been a significant aspect of her public life and political career. She has faced scrutiny and speculation about her racial background, with some questioning the authenticity of her Black and Asian identities. Despite this, Harris has embraced her heritage and remained connected to her family in India and Jamaica. She has frequently acknowledged the influence of her maternal grandmother, who advocated for women's rights in India.
Harris's historic selection as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in 2020 marked several milestones. She became the first Black woman and the first Asian American to run for vice president on a major-party ticket. Ultimately, she was elected as the 49th vice president of the United States, serving from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. Harris's election represented a significant step forward for diversity and inclusion in American politics, solidifying her place as the highest-ranking female and Asian American official in the nation's history.
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Harris's biracial identity has been questioned by conservative pundits
Kamala Harris, the former vice president of the United States, is a woman of colour with a Jamaican and Indian heritage. She is the daughter of immigrants, her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, being from India and her father, Donald J. Harris, being Afro-Jamaican. Harris was born and raised in Oakland, California, and graduated from Howard University, a historically Black university.
Harris's identity has been wielded against her by conservative media outlets, who have suggested that Black Americans would not embrace her. Some have even claimed that Harris slept her way to the top, citing an early relationship with a prominent Democratic politician. These attacks rely on stereotypes of Black women being promiscuous, rooted in the historical rape of Black women by white slave owners.
Despite the criticism, Harris's supporters have celebrated her identity, seeing her as a representative of the United States' multiracial, feminist future. Many voters, especially those who are Asian American, Black, Latino, and female, see elements of themselves in Harris and have embraced her candidacy. Harris's popularity with a younger, media-savvy electorate has also been noted, with her nomination sending a powerful message to young Asian and Black girls.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris is an American politician. She served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025.
Kamala Harris is biracial. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, emigrated from India, and her father, Donald Harris, emigrated from British Jamaica.
Yes, Kamala Harris is the first woman to hold the office of vice president in the United States.
Yes, Kamala Harris is the first Black person to hold the office of vice president in the United States.
Yes, Kamala Harris is the first Asian American to hold the office of vice president in the United States.
