As the days to the 2024 US presidential election approaches, the Indian American community is getting more and more enthusiastic. This excitement is all directed at none other than Kamala Harris, the first South Asian American Vice President of the United States.
The slogan of ‘Hamari Ye Kamala Harris’ meaning ‘Our Kamala Harris’, has become the slogan of the Indian Americans who are proud of Harris and are ready to support her in the presidential debates against Trump. This is not just in words but has become a culture, fans celebrating after the game and the phrase “nacho nacho” (dance dance) suggests this.
This boost of support for Harris comes at a critical year in the political development of America. Harris is set to take Trump on in the first US presidential debate on September 10, 2024 and the debate has already created a lot of interest. Much of the focus will be on this debate as it could likely sway the voting decisions of millions of citizens all over the country.
The support which Indian American has shown for Harris is not merely due to the fact that she is of Indian origin. Some see her as a progress and representative of women in politics in America. Her story of the daughter of immigrants and rising through the ranks to the White House is a very familiar narrative to many in the community, as this has helped to encourage a new generation of Indian Americans to become more politically active.
Notably, this wave of support for Harris has cut across party lines with people from all the parties supporting her. The last one was rather unexpected: a progressive Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders praised former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney for supporting Kamala Harris. Such endorsement from the Cheneys who are staunch Republicans show that the political dynamics in the 2024 election is quite peculiar.
Sanders also pointed out that the Cheneys were among the many Republicans who were not afraid to vote for the Democrats with an aim of ensuring Trump does not get a second term. Such a bipartisan support for Harris proves that the stakes are high in the next election, and the political strategies are already shaping up in response to the current political environment.
The interest that has been shown towards the campaign of Harris is not only within the United States. It has also created interest and pride in India too as many people followed the election keenly and supporting their candidate. This international dimension puts an additional layer to the already complicated picture of politics in the United States in 2024.
Thus, as the election nears, one can see that the Indian American community will be quite influential. This means that from grassroots campaigning to high profile endorsements, their participation may determine the results in some of the swing states. The “nacho nacho” is not just a slogan, but a symbol of the community that is excited and enthusiastic to come out and vote in one of the most important election in the United States of America.
The upcoming months will surely witness more engagements of the Indian American political groups, voting campaigns, and other related community related activities related to the election. And now as Kamala Harris readies herself to debate the candidates and start her journey of traveling across the country, she has millions of people cheering for her, looking forward to dancing to the polls for “Hamari Ye Kamari Harris”.
