Donald Trump recently questioned Kamala Harris’s racial identity, claiming she was previously known as “Indian” before “turning Black.” This statement comes amid a resurgence of an old video featuring Harris and actress Mindy Kaling discussing their South Indian roots.
The video, which gained attention during Harris’s 2020 vice-presidential campaign, shows Harris and Kaling bonding over their South Indian heritage and making dosa, a traditional South Indian dish. In the video, Harris, whose mother Shyamala Gopalan hails from Tamil Nadu, India, discusses her connection to South Indian culture.
Kaling notes in the video, “I don’t know if everyone knows this, but wherever I go, people say, ‘You know Kamala Harris is Indian, right?’” She expresses excitement about Harris’s candidacy, adding, “So, we’re both Indians.” Harris confirms, “Yes, we’re both South Indian,” and describes her childhood visits to India, recalling fond memories of her grandparents.
It is essential to recognize that Harris has a diverse background. Her father, Donald Harris, is from Jamaica, while her mother is from India. Born in 1964 in California to these first-generation immigrants, Harris identifies with both her Indian and Black heritage.
In his recent remarks at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) event, Trump questioned Harris’s racial identity. He said, “I didn’t know she was Black until a few years ago when she seemed to switch from being Indian to Black. So, I’m not sure— is she Indian or is she Black?”
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