Washington: Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has said the nomination of Kamala Harris as the Democratic party's vice presidential candidate is very significant as she brings together multiple identities and also is a 'flashpoint' for communities around the country that felt unheard till now.
Harris, 55, scripted history in US politics as she became the first Indian-American and Black woman to get a major party's vice-presidential nomination on the third day of the virtual Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
Jayapal, 54, who entered the US House of Representatives in January 2017 as the first Indian-American to be elected to the lower house, said, "She was confident that Harris would fight for the policies required."
"Harris' nomination as the vice-presidential candidate of the Democratic party is very significant. It is not only because she brings multiple identities but is a flashpoint for communities around the country that have not felt heard in a way the way that we would like, not felt seen, and she touched on that at many moments and she also touched on the history of those whose shoulders we stand upon," Jayapal said in an interview.
Jayapal said Harris accepting the nomination to be the vice-presidential candidate of the Democratic Party brought tears to her eyes.
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"This was a historic night as we all know. I will admit that watching her saying the phrase 'I accept the nomination to be the vice president of the United States brought me some tears'," Jayapal said.
Jayapal and Harris, both good friends, trace their roots to Chennai, have worked together on several issues, in particular those related to the immigrants, human rights and women.
"Its about the policies she will fight for. We spent a lot of time trying to convince people of what the reality is on the ground. The fact is, that Kamala Harris's multiple identities, as a black woman, as a child of immigrants, as the first South Asian-American woman to be elected to the Senate, and now, to be on a major party ticket allows her to have a different sort of insight into the issues of immigration into the issues of women of colour," Jayapal said.
"I have been able to work with her on a national domestic worker's bill of rights that we introduced together, all women of colour, many immigrant women, and it was just a delight because neither of us has to explain anything to each other. The same thing with immigration," she said.
Jayapal said, "Harris is one of the only 14 naturalised citizens to serve in the US Congress. And I believe Harris is critical to that path forward."
Also read: Harris seizes historic moment in accepting VP nomination
(With inputs from PTI)
