indica News Bureau-

After Sunday’s launch of South Asians For ThePeople, a number of South Asian Californians are opening up on what Senator Kamala Harris’s candidacy means to them.

On the heels of launching APIAs For The People earlier this week, the campaign has created a hub for Harris supporters in the South Asian community.

Harris, whose mother Shyamala Golapan was from India, is the first South Asian American senator in US history. South Asians For The People will bring Harris supporters across the country together, helping them to get to know one another, host events, and spread the word about the Democratic presidential candidate’s plans to enact bold change within their communities.

Learning about the South Asians For The People initiative, here is what some Harris supporters from California’s South Asian community had to say about her historic candidacy: “I may only be 15, but I know how important this election is to the future of our country and I want to make sure Kamala runs it,” said Deepa, a high school student from San Jose. “I went to Camp Kamala last month, I’m starting a group called Silicon Valley For Kamala along with a few friends, and I can’t wait to be part of South Asians For The People. She not only makes me feel like my community is part of something bigger, she makes every community feel included. I really think she embodies America.”

Harini, a classical vocalist, lecturer and mother from Hillsborough, said: “Seeing Kamala as a candidate for president means representation. Right now, we have a president who denies my existence and questions my loyalty as an American. Kamala transcends cultures and identities to represent America, and she has a record of championing the diverse and the marginalized. There are young South Asian American women, like my daughters, who are watching. If she becomes the next president, that tells them they can be part of our country’s decision-making process.”

Vidya, a mother and PTA school board member from Fremont, said: “I want to do everything I can to help Kamala become president because of who she is and what she stands for. My interest in Kamala stemmed from our shared identity as South Asian women, but my passion for her developed when I learned her policies. Kamala is going to protect my children, who are awestruck by the fact that someone who looks like them could be president, with plans like increasing teacher pay. Kamala is going to give Dreamers a pathway to citizenship and end family separation, and I trust that she will do it right because she was raised by immigrants herself.”