Kamala Harris may become the first female and first half-Tamil half-Black president of the United States. The fact that Harris is half-Tamil (or in the media, half-Indian) has been a topic of conversation in many circles. Among the broader public, her Indian identity has been held up as a positive sign of the multicultural land of opportunity that America has long prided itself in being. For others, her identity has been used more as a controversial talking point, primarily whether she is “more Black or more Indian.”
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For Tamil people, however, her Tamil identity has undeniably been the focus. It is undeniable that there is both cultural pride and inspiration garnered from a Tamil woman’s ability to rise to the world’s most powerful political seat. Social media makes this point clear; whether it is the age-old idea of every young brown girl who could now see themselves as president one day, or that Harris’ success demonstrates the incredible strides that Tamils have made around the world, there is a large base of support for the idea that Harris is an important symbol of progress. After all, a few decades ago, the idea of a female minority president would have been seen as a distant fantasy. Given the chaos of the Trump presidency, it is very easy to think the world is going backwards. To those who felt this backwards slide, a Tamil female president would be monumental in many ways, Tamil representation being just one of them.
If you fall into the more neutral category, you may relate to the idea that Harris becoming president is not of particular significance, other than its symbolic value. Comparisons have been drawn to Rishi Sunak, who’s ascension to British prime minister was similarly lauded for its breaking of colour barriers, as well as the not-so-subtle irony and satisfaction of a man originating from a former British colony becoming head of the coloniser's own government. However, the significance of his premiership was also questioned, with critics quick to point out that while Sunak may have been the son of immigrants and a person of colour, he was also a multimillionaire and out of touch with the experiences of the average immigrant. He was also accused of doing very little for people of colour that differentiated him from his predecessors; ethnicity alone did not seem to mean much. A similar argument can be made for Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai, another notable Tamil; he is Tamil, which is pretty cool, but otherwise it could be argued his leadership of Google doesn’t really “do” anything for the Tamil community.
For those who believe Kamala Harris falls into this category, it may seem that her ascension to president does very little for the South Asian community. It’s cool to see a Tamil reach these heights, but for some the significance may perhaps end there.
Harris’ identity and potential presidency has also elicited negative responses, aside from the expected racist and sexist stuff we have come to expect nowadays. A common critique is that Harris has rarely acknowledged or discussed her Indian identity, except when it suits her politically. A scroll through comment sections of Harris discussing her Indian heritage clearly show that many people see her Indianness as something she pulls out to appeal to minority audiences to get votes, but is not something she expresses pride in or sees as a core part of her identity. For those who see her as being disingenuous or pandering for votes, her presidency may mean very little for Tamil representation, and may even be seen as insulting.
Harris’ identity, much like any aspect of a presidential candidate’s life, has been under intense scrutiny. The complexity in her identity has sparked debates on whether her Tamil heritage holds any real significance for the Tamil or Indian community, or if it remains primarily symbolic. Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, it is undeniable that a successful win in 2024 will be historic and monumental, whether in a good way or a bad way.
