News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Aug. 22, 2024: It is not cynical to ask if Kamala Harris is the result of the second immaculate conception. All she and others ever talk about is her Indian mother. Nowhere to be found is her Jamaican, Caribbean father. At least in the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph are both acknowledged in the Bible. We look at who is the real Kamala Harris in this article.
As Kamala Harris prepares to take the stage at the Democratic National Convention tonight to formally accept the party’s nomination for the presidency, many wonder if she will finally acknowledge a significant part of her heritage that has been largely overlooked: her Caribbean roots.
The Real Kamala Harris
Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, is often celebrated as the first Black and South Asian to be nominated for President. Always omitted from her narrative is her Jamaican father – born in the Caribbean, very much alive and a Caribbean immigrant and likely Caribbean American voter.
Despite her father’s Jamaican heritage, Harris’s public persona has largely focused on her identity as a Black and South Asian woman. This has left many in the Caribbean-American community feeling overlooked, in fact outraged, especially given the significant contributions of Caribbean immigrants to the fabric of American society. Leaders and advocates from this community have long called for greater recognition of Harris’s Caribbean heritage, which they believe is a crucial part of her identity and journey. So far to Kamala’s deaf ears.
In January 2021, following Harris’s election as Vice President, a coalition of Caribbean-American organizations and leaders came together to celebrate her victory and highlight her Caribbean roots. The event, organized under the Caribbean American Action Network (CAAN), featured prominent Caribbean entertainers and leaders. The goal was to remind the world – and Harris herself – of the significant role that her Caribbean heritage has played in shaping her identity.
Despite this effort, Harris never mentions her Jamaican father or her Caribbean heritage in her speeches. As Harris prepares to accept the Democratic nomination this evening, there is only hope that she will use this platform to finally and fully embrace and acknowledge her Caribbean roots. This would not only honor her father’s legacy but also recognize the vibrant Caribbean-American community and voting bloc that has supported her journey to the highest echelons of American politics.
The significance of such an acknowledgment cannot be overstated. In a nation built by immigrants, the recognition of one’s heritage is a powerful statement of inclusion and diversity. By acknowledging her Jamaican and Caribbean roots, Harris has the opportunity to unite a broader coalition of supporters and send a message of inclusivity that resonates with millions of Caribbean-Americans and other immigrant communities across the country.
As she stands before the nation, Harris has a chance – indeed the moral and ethical obligation in the name of truth – to make history – not only as the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated for the U.S. presidency but also the first proud daughter of the Caribbean, who may well soon be President of the United States.
The question remains: Will she seize this opportunity or continue to mislead America the world on who she really is? One thing we do know for sure – her father Professor Donald Harris who is alive and still active will not be in the massive cheering audience in the convention center to watch his daughter accept the nomination, because he has not been invited. Guaranteed if her mother was still living she would be very prominently seated with Harris’ family in a VIP section, and indeed be on stage with Kamala at the conclusion of Thursday night.
Not her invisible Caribbean father! What a shame!
commentary By Arthur Piccolo
