Malcolm Rivera
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's racial and cultural background became a topic of discussion during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, with some questioning her Black heritage and biracial identity. Harris herself has directly mentioned her multiracial background, honoring her roots as the daughter of a brown woman from India and a black man from Jamaica.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Race | Black and South Asian |
| Heritage | Indian and Jamaican |
| Multiracial | Yes |
| Biracial | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
Kamala Harris is biracial
Harris herself has long identified as both Black and South Asian American. In 2006, when she was the San Francisco District Attorney, Harris referred to herself as African American at a conference about issues impacting African Americans. She also attended Howard University, a historically black university, and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the historically black sororities. Harris's identity as a biracial woman has been a topic of discussion and speculation, with some questioning the authenticity of her Black or Asian identities. However, her supporters have celebrated her identity and see her as a model for inclusivity and representation.
Harris's racial and cultural background took centre stage during her 2024 presidential campaign, particularly after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump falsely suggested that she had misled voters about her racial identity. During her campaign, Harris opted for direct mentions of her multiracial background and upbringing, honouring her roots and the multicultural community that helped raise her.
Harris's biracial identity is significant because it makes her more relatable to a broad range of people, including those who identify as multiracial themselves. Her candidacy and subsequent vice presidency represent a breakthrough for representation and diversity in American politics, serving as a symbol of inclusivity and a reflection of the country's changing demographics.
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Her mother is Indian
Kamala Harris is the daughter of a brown woman and a Caribbean man. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, is a biologist who arrived in the United States from India in 1958 to enrol in graduate school in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. Gopalan worked on the progesterone receptor gene, which led to advances in breast cancer research. She self-identified as Caucasian in Harris's 1964 birth certificate, which has been used to discredit Harris's racial identity. However, this classification is inaccurate as "Caucasian" was used to describe Europeans and Indians in anthropological science, which has since been debunked.
Harris's father, Donald J. Harris, is an Afro-Jamaican who immigrated to the United States in 1961. He 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 parents met in 1962, married in 1963, and lived in Berkeley until they moved in 1966, around Harris's second birthday. They lived for a few years in college towns in the Midwest, where her parents held teaching or research positions.
Harris's racial and cultural background has been a topic of interest and debate. She has been described as the first woman of Black and South Asian heritage to be a major party's presidential nominee. Harris herself has opted for direct mentions of her multiracial background and upbringing, honouring her roots and the multicultural village of "aunties" and "uncles" in California's Bay Area. Her supporters have celebrated her identity, turning critiques into positive political memes. However, her opponents, including former President Donald Trump, have questioned her racial identity and suggested that she has misled voters about her heritage.
Despite the criticism, Harris's multiracial identity has been a source of connection and representation for many Americans who identify as multiracial. Her candidacy and elevation to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket in 2024 were widely recognised as a watershed moment, with the potential to establish a strong bond with the Black electorate based on shared racial identity. Harris's racial background reflects the increasing diversity of the United States, where more residents are identifying as two or more races.
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Her father is Jamaican
Kamala Harris is the daughter of an Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan, and a Jamaican father, Donald J. Harris. Donald Harris is an Afro-Jamaican who immigrated to the United States in 1961 and enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where he specialized in development economics. He was the first Black scholar to be granted tenure at Stanford University's economics department, where he now has emeritus status.
Harris's father grew up in Jamaica, and self-identified as "Jamaican" on Harris's birth certificate. Jamaica's population largely consists of descendants of enslaved Africans brought by the English to work on the island's sugar estates, with a small proportion (15.1%) having mixed Afro-European ancestry. As a result, the U.S. Census currently includes people of Jamaican heritage among groups considered to be Black or African American.
Harris's racial and cultural background has been a topic of interest and discussion throughout her political career, including during her time as a Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. Harris herself has spoken about her multiracial background and upbringing, paying tribute to her roots as the daughter of a brown woman and a Caribbean man. She has also celebrated the multicultural village of "aunties" and "uncles" in California's Bay Area who were a part of her upbringing.
Harris's race has been the subject of scrutiny and debate, with some questioning whether she is Black, Indian, or both. Her birth certificate, which lists her mother's race as "Caucasian" and her father's race as "Jamaican", has been used by some to argue that she is not of Black or Asian American heritage. However, this interpretation fails to acknowledge the historical context of racial classifications, where "Caucasian" was often used interchangeably with "white", and does not accurately reflect Harris's Indian and Jamaican ancestry.
Despite the criticism and questioning of her racial identity, Harris has embraced her multiracial background and has become a symbol of inclusivity for many Americans who identify as multiracial themselves.
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Harris is the first woman of Black and South Asian heritage to be a major party's presidential nominee
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 woman of Black and South Asian heritage to be a major party's presidential nominee. Harris is of multiracial and multi-ethnic heritage, with an Indian mother and a Jamaican father. She has described herself as "a proud American, with parents who are immigrants."
Harris's racial and cultural background took centre stage during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where she became the first woman of colour to be nominated for president by a major political party. While she did not explicitly mention the racial and gender firsts she would set if elected, she did pay tribute to her roots, honouring her mother, a brown woman from India, and her father, a black man from Jamaica. She also acknowledged the multicultural community that helped raise her, including the "aunties" and "uncles" of California's Bay Area, who joined her onstage during the convention.
Harris's biracial and multicultural identity has been a significant part of her political brand and has been celebrated by her supporters, who see her as a representation of America's increasing diversity. More than 33 million Americans identify as multiracial, and Harris's layered background resonates with many who see themselves reflected in her story. Harris's vice presidency was also a significant milestone, as she was the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to hold the office, making her the highest-ranking female and Asian-American official in US history.
However, Harris's race and identity have also been the target of scrutiny and attacks by her political opponents. Former President Donald Trump, for example, has questioned her Black heritage and suggested that she changed how she presented her racial identity for political convenience. Despite this, Harris's supporters have turned these critiques into positive political messages, celebrating her identity and using it as a rallying cry for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Harris identifies as Black and South Asian
Kamala Harris, the former Vice President of the United States, is of Black and South Asian heritage. 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 has spoken about her multiracial background and upbringing, honouring her roots and the multicultural community she grew up with.
Harris's racial identity has been a topic of discussion and, at times, controversy. While she has proudly embraced and celebrated her multiracial identity, there have been instances where her Black and South Asian heritage has been questioned or used against her. Notably, during her presidential campaign in 2024, her birth certificate was shared online as "proof" that she was not of Asian American or Black Jamaican heritage. However, the interpretation of the birth certificate was based on a misunderstanding of historical racial classifications, as her mother had self-identified as "Caucasian", which at the time included people from the Indian subcontinent.
Despite the attempts to discredit her racial identity, Harris's multiracial background has been celebrated by many, especially those who also identify as multiracial. Her candidacy and subsequent vice presidency represented a significant milestone for representation in American politics. As the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in US history, Harris broke barriers and served as an inspiration for many.
Harris's racial identity has also played a role in her political appeal, particularly among Black voters. In the 2024 presidential election, she secured 83% of the Black vote. While this represented a slight decline from former President Obama's support among Black voters, Harris still maintained strong support from the Black community, indicating that her shared racial identity played a critical role in mobilizing support.
In conclusion, Harris's identification as Black and South Asian is an essential aspect of her personal story and political career. By embracing her multiracial identity, she has offered a powerful message of inclusivity and representation, resonating with a diverse range of Americans who see themselves reflected in her layered background.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris is biracial, with Black Jamaican and Indian ancestry. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, is Indian and her father, Donald J. Harris, is Afro-Jamaican.
Yes, Kamala Harris has publicly addressed her racial identity. During her 2024 presidential campaign, she opted for direct mentions of her multiracial background and upbringing.
Responses to Kamala Harris' racial identity have been mixed. Some people, including civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, have celebrated Harris' racial identity. On the other hand, Harris' racial identity has been questioned and attacked by her opponents, including former President Donald Trump, who has falsely suggested that she misled voters about her racial identity.
