Kamala Harris remembers Chennai-born mother, Deepavali, and Madras

WASHINGTON: Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic presidential candidate, in an op-ed on Saturday, recollected her frequent visit to India as a child, and her mother's mission to cure cancer.

"Growing up, my mother raised my sister and me to appreciate and honour our heritage. Nearly every other year, we would go to India for Diwali. We would spend time with our grandparents, our uncles, and our chitthis," Harris said in the op-ed for The Jaggernaut, an online South Asian publication.

"And as Vice President, it has been my honor to host Diwali celebrations in my home — the Vice President's Residence. Not only to celebrate the holiday, but to celebrate the rich history, culture, and heritage of the South Asian American diaspora, which is bound together by a shared sense of possibility and belief in the promise of America," she said.

In her op-ed published three days before the November 5th general elections, Harris wrote that as a 19-year-old, her mother Shyamala Harris crossed the world alone, traveling from India to the United States. "My mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters, my sister Maya and me, and to cure breast cancer," she wrote.

"When I was little, when we traveled to India, we would also visit my grandfather, PV Gopalan, in what was then called Madras. My grandfather was a retired civil servant. His morning routine consisted of taking long walks on the beach with his retired buddies. I would join him on those walks and listen to stories about the importance of fighting for democracy and civil rights," she wrote.

"Throughout these walks, I recall my grandfather teaching me lessons about not just what it means to have a democracy but to keep a democracy. Those lessons first inspired my interest in public service. And they continue to guide me today — as Vice President and as a candidate for President of the United States," Harris said.

She said she believes Americans want a president who works for all the American people. "And that has been the story of my entire career," he said.

“South Asian Americans are often overlooked by our healthcare system, especially when it comes to heart health and diabetes. I worked with President Joe Biden to cap insulin prices for seniors at $35, and reduce drug costs. I will protect the Affordable Care Act and expand Medicare to cover home care for seniors. This is personal for me. When my mother had cancer, I helped take care of her and did everything I could to make her comfortable. I understand the burdens of caregiving and will work to ease them for your families," she wrote.

"With respect to fixing our broken immigration system, I reject the false choice between securing our border and creating a system of immigration that is orderly and humane. We can and must do both. The bipartisan border security bill I support does that. It will reduce illegal border crossings through strict enforcement, so that South Asian lives aren't endangered. I will partner with Democrats, Republicans, and independents to ensure we live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants," she said.

"Our role in the world is also at stake in this election, and I will ensure that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership. As Vice President, I have expanded our relationships with key South Asian partners, including India. And unlike Trump, who cozies up to tyrants and whose own national security officials have deemed 'dangerous' and 'unfit', I will never waver in defending America's security and ideals,” she wrote.

"Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of him ever getting back into the White House are brutally serious. Trump and his extremist allies will cut Social Security and Medicare. His economic policies will drive inflation higher, and cause a recession by mid-2025. He intends to impose what I call a 'Trump sales tax' which is at least a 20% tax, if not more, on everyday necessities. Economists have estimated this will cost the American family an additional $4,000 a year," Harris wrote.