America’s Issue on Racial Identity
When Kamala Harris swore into office in 2020, she broke many barriers as the first woman, the first Black person, and the first person of South Asian and mixed-race descent to become the vice president of the United States. After her nomination, Harris’s biracial identity prompted plenty of discussion on social and traditional media as she is the daughter of an Indian immigrant mother and a Jamaican immigrant father. There are different sides to this discussion. Some South Asian voters believed her South Asian identity is downplayed, and other South Asian voters were excited about this historic moment as it brought more representation to South Asian American women and women of color. Some Black voters debated whether she is “Black enough” to represent being a Black woman in America. Being Black enough means conforming to certain stereotypical assumptions or characteristics people think of when they think of black people.
Her multiracial identity isn’t a new topic of interest, as she has publicly identified as a Black woman in the media. But her South Asian identity is rarely mentioned in media coverage until her presidential run. The media coverage surrounding Harris’s identity plays a role in the issues of defining racial identity in America for multiracial people. For example, in 2016, Kamala Harris won her senate seat, but “news coverage repeatedly highlighted that she was only the second Black woman elected to the Senate (the first was Carol Moseley Braun, in 1992).” News coverage neglected to mention that Harris was also the first South Asian person to be elected to the Senate. Defining racial identity in America can be a complex issue because of other people’s assumptions, expectations, and the highly racialized nature of this country. Harris’s experience is an example of this because her racial identity has become a complex issue in the media.
Portrayal in the Media
For multiracial people, defining their racial identity is a complex issue in America because of other people’s assumptions and expectations. Based on the debate on Harris’s racial identity, America is far from coming up with a solution to this issue. One of the reasons Harris might be more commonly portrayed as Black in the media is because of America’s history of using the “one-drop rule.” This racist practice dates back to slavery, where the child of a Black person and a White person was still considered a slave and not a free person. This practice continued up until Jim Crow Laws. Mixed people wouldn’t have the same rights as white people because they have ‘one drop’ of Black blood. This social principle not only affected how white people/American society think of black people but also how black people view themselves.
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Kamala Harris (bottom row, second from the right) in a Howard University yearbook.
Historically, African Americans have faced more oppression and systemic racism than Indian Americans. They face more injustices like being racially attacked by the police and are currently disproportionately affected by Covid-19, unemployment, and the economic crisis. Harris identifies as a Black woman but shows appreciation for Indian culture. She cherishes her mother for introducing her to Indian food, having Indian jewelry, and taking her and her sister Maya on trips abroad to visit extended family.
The way Harris chooses to identify is a personal decision, and she shouldn’t have to choose between being Black or South Asian. Harris is only one person and can’t represent everyone. She doesn’t have to fit into one category. On the other hand, her vice presidency was a powerful representation of multiracial people in America.
Validation
In the video above Blindian, (Black and Indian) couples celebrate Kamala Harris sworn in office. They believe this creates more representation for Black and Indian children and help them feel more aspired to pursue whatever they want in the future. Seeing a person that looks similar to them in a high position will help them not feel discouraged because Harris has broken the barrier for Blindian families in America.
Studying Multicultural People
The chart above provided by the Pew Research Center shows that multiracial adults who were perceived as white were less likely to have experienced discrimination. Those perceived as white experience discrimination at similar rates to monoracial white people. Multiracial adults described as Black (71%) or multiracial (72%) by others said they have been subjected to slurs or jokes because of their background.
In the chart above provided by the Pew Research Center, in 2015, most adults with a multiracial background do not consider themselves ‘multiracial.’ About 47% of these people cited their family upbringing and/or their physical appearance as the reasons.