Ever since the news that Kamala Harris, the first woman of South Asian descent, had been selected as US Democratic presidential contender, Joe Biden’s running mate broke, much of India has been celebrating Kamala Harris’ Indian connection.
Born in 1964 in the US state of California, Kamala's mother, Shyamala Gopalan was originally from Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu; her father - an economics professor - from Jamaica.
“Kamala’s family values are her biggest influences,” says Balachandran Gopalan, Kamala’s maternal uncle, a Delhi-based academic.
Ms Harris, left, with her sister, Maya, and mother, Shyamala, outside their apartment in Berkeley in 1970. Source: Kamala Harris campaign
“Having known my niece Kamala's calibre ever since childhood, this is not a surprise to our family.
"We always knew that Kamala was going to make it big in public service one day as she has been purposeful in every phase of her life so far.
He says 'think big' is her motto in whatever she does.
Kamala's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, left India for the United States aged 19 in 1958 to pursue graduate studies. She became active in the civil rights movement then went on to become a breast cancer researcher.
Ms Harris a child at her mother's lab in Berkeley. Source: Kamala Harris campaign
"This attribute was instilled in her by her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan. When she wanted to go to the US all alone, nobody stopped her in our family.
"'Educate yourselves, do whatever you want to do' was our parent’s progressive principle in bringing up their children."
Mr Gopalan says Shyamala followed the same culture in raising her children, too, saying their family's values have shaped Kamala over the years to the woman she is now.”
Listen to Balachandran Gopalan's interview with SBS Tamil in English:
LISTEN TO
Uncle Balachandran
SBS Tamil
17/07/202001:37
Her mother’s upbringing influenced Kamala throughout her career both as a District Attorney and Attorney-General - she was the first black female Attorney-General of California, as well as the first woman of South Asian heritage elected to the US Senate.
Shyamala has always told her that there is no point in sitting and talking about why something is not happening, ‘go and do it’.
"While civil rights violations figured prominently in Kamala Harris’ agenda as a district attorney, she did whatever she could do in the city of San Francisco," Balachandran Gopalan says.
"Having done that she aimed higher for the state of California and planned for Attorney-General. This was because her mother motivated Kamala to aim high and do as much good as she could to the public. Kamala was always trying to do more than what she was trying to do at that time. First from the district attorney to the Attorney-General and then from Attorney-General to Senator.
"Kamala feels now that as a presumptive vice president she could do more for the various causes that she thinks are necessary for the society.”
While her mother was a major factor in her life and her biggest inspiration, Kamala has mentioned her grandfather as her ‘earliest influences’ in her memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.
"Yes, whenever Kamala and her sister Maya visited their grandparents in Chennai for a family vacation, my father Gopalan would spend a considerable amount of time with them. He would take them for a walk and would tell them stories about our great grandfathers, their lifestyle and their beliefs. He inspired Kamala to focus more on civic issues and public service.”
Kamala Harris and presidential nominee Joe Biden face incumbent President Donald Trump in the race for the White House in the US elections in November this year.
(Contributed by Janani Karthik, SBS Tamil contributor in Sydney)
