Hear how Kamala Harris’ election has impacted one Indian-American woman

Vice-President elect Kamala Harris is the nation’s first woman, the first African-American and the first South-Asian Vice President. That’s a lot of firsts and it’s especially meaningful to a lot of people.

To discuss this, we talked with Dr. Swapna Reddy with ASU’s College of Health Solutions.

“As an Indian-American woman, the thought of having someone from my background that looks like me, that has a name that’s kind of like mine, about to become the Vice President of the United States as a child was really outside the bounds of my imagination,” Reddy said.

Reddy emphasized the need for representation in action instead of purely in discussion. She shared about her 13-year-old daughter and how she is excited for her to see a woman in power that looks like her.

“I think many of us feel seen in a way that many of us have not felt before,” Reddy said.

Reddy also shared how the childhood photos of Harris with her family resembled some of Reddy’s family photos.

Harris’ position does not solely impact Reddy. Women, people of color and immigrants are seeing someone like them represented in a Vice President position.

Reddy smiled as she heard Harris’ words: “While I may not be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.”

Reddy remarked that the 2020 Election results have garnered international attention as she received notifications from her relatives in India. She believes this election has proved that the country can go many different places.

“I’m always proud of America, but I’m really proud of America right now,” Reddy said.

Reddy believes that while Harris may be held to a higher standard due to her representation amongst many different groups, she is capable of doing the job right.

“She doesn’t need to be claimed by anyone,” Reddy said. “She’s an American, first and foremost.”