US presidential election: ‘Kamala was a curious child’, recalls uncle of the would-be vice-president’s early years
- The woman who may soon be the first Indian-American VP in US history was deeply influenced by visits to her maternal family in Chennai, says her uncle
- Her mother’s toughness, her grandfather’s work ethic and the whole family’s attitude towards discrimination are among the values that shaped her
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Kamala Harris’ ancestral village in India prays for her victory in US presidential election
Harris has herself recounted how, when running for election as California’s Attorney General she asked her aunt to break 108 coconuts – an auspicious Hindu ritual – at the Varasiddhi Vinayagar Temple.
But it was Harris’s mother who had the strongest influence on her, teaching her the importance of being strong and sticking up for herself, Gopalan said.
“There’s no question that [her mother] Shyamala had a great influence on Kamala. She’s perhaps the most influential individual on Kamala’s character development. Not just in later years but right from childhood and right when she was a teenager,” he said.
“Shyamala always told Kamala ‘don’t let others defend you – do what you want and defend yourself’,” he recalled.