A day before the US presidential elections, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal cooked a paneer dish which she claimed to be her ‘comfort food’ and she named it paneer tikka in honour of Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Before her address to the virtual national convention, former President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak on the nation getting a "More Perfect Leadership" and segue into her nomination by her sister Maya Harris, niece Meena Harris and step-daughter Ella Emhoff, according to the convention.
Two mainstream cultures dominate American life, the white and the black. One is mainstream American if one belongs to one of them. All those Indian-Americans who hyphenate themselves are delusional. They are seen as simply Indian in the US, even if they were born in the country. Shyamala wanted to ensure that Harris conformed to one of the dominant cultures, the black one.
Policies are drafted by career bureaucrats, who for decades have handled their responsibilities and are aware of the nation’s threats and economic requirements. The top leader’s perceptions may carry influence but will never compromise defending core national interests and maintaining ties with close allies. A leader’s strong beliefs could result in comments on a few uncomfortable internal matters of allies but would never cross a nation’s red lines.
But while her multi-faceted persona offers something to different sections, it may also act as a deterrent because there are some who believe that Senator Harris chooses to be what the occasion demands, that indeed her carefully-crafted political career has been one of playing to different galleries with different scripts.
