The ‘Jewishness’ of Kamala Harris (Revisited)

Almost four years ago, then-Senator Kamala Harris was Joe Biden’s vice-presidential running mate in an election that would result in the resounding defeat of Donald J. Trump.

Referring to the wide-ranging use of and reference to “identity politics” – perhaps by both sides — during the 2020 national election, I wrote a piece on Kamala Harris.

Now that it is all-but-certain that Kamala Harris will be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, it seems appropriate to look at this amazing American once again: her background, her “Blackness,” her “Jewishness.” (Kamala Harris is a Black Baptist).

Why?

Because, as Al Sharpton predicts, “The attacks on her, as the highest elected Black woman in American history, will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen…Black women have always been America’s favorite punching bag. Get ready to see ugly stereotypes, questions about her record and verbal attacks taken to the next level.”

The following are some excerpts from the August 17, 2020 “The ‘Jewishness’ of Kamala Harris.”

But first two updates and one remark:

• Since then, Kamala Harris has added three-and-a-half years of experience to her resume as a most successful vice-president of the United States.

• Harris is a young, vibrant woman running against a man who “is now the oldest party nominee for president in US history.”

• The caption in the 2020 J.D. Crowe political cartoon above, “Finally. A Fresh face in the race,” is as current and appropriate now as it was then.

From “The ‘Jewishness’ of Kamala Harris”:

With a Jamaican father and a mother from India, Harris has been called a Black woman, a Black American, an African American, an Indian-American, an Asian-American, a woman of color, a woman of Jamaican-Indian descent, a woman of Afro-Indian descent, a woman of Tamil and African ancestry who identifies as Black and, how about, an “Indo-Jamaican posing as an African American.”

Referring to the historic significance of her nomination for vice president on a major party’s presidential ticket, one reads:

• The first Black woman.
• The first woman of color.
• The first Asian-American.
• The first daughter of immigrants.
• The first woman of Jamaican-Indian descent.
• The first Asian-American and African American woman.

What does Kamala Harris herself have to say about her racial identity?

During a February 2019 interview on “The Breakfast Club” radio show, Harris said firmly:

I’m Black, and I’m proud of being Black. I was born Black. I will die Black…I’m not going to make excuses for anybody because they don’t understand…I’m not going to spend my time trying to educate people about who Black people are…

In her heart, Harris calls herself simply “an American.”

Ironically, Harris’ detractors — the same ones who would use her “Blackness” against her — are now cynically questioning and obsessed with the “legitimacy of her Blackness.”

While in the past, the “one-drop rule” was sufficient for someone with any African Black ancestry to be considered Black, it is weirdly interesting to see how some conservatives are now intent on “changing the rules” and say that Harris does not have sufficient Black blood to be “truly Black.”

Recently, conservative radio host Mark Levin kicked off one of his TV shows by ranting about Kamala Harris’ ethnicity:

Kamala Harris is not an African American, she is Indian and Jamaican…India is out there near China…her ancestry does not go back to American slavery…I keep hearing people say she would be the first African American vice president. No, if she is elected, God forbid, or nominated, then elected, she is still not the first African American vice president…

Not to be outdone, right-wing provocateur Dinesh D’Souza tweeted:

The ‘first Black woman’ hoopla is based on the idea that finally a female descendant of slaves can make it all the way to the White House. The problem is that Kamala Harris is descended from one of Jamaica’s largest slaveowners. This exposes the whole morality tale as a farce!

And if that was not enough, we now see “Birtherism 2.0” raising its ugly head again, claiming Harris is not a natural-born citizen, promulgated by right-wing neo-birther editorials and social media posts and dog-whistled by Trump and his cronies, along with many other bizarre and cruel falsehoods and conspiracy theories, mainly about her heritage, “scraping the raw edges of America’s divisions over race, gender and national origin.”

How about her gender?

I will merely quote Karen Green, chair of the Florida Democratic Party’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, who says: “She’s a universal woman of our modern times. She serves as a woman who refutes everything Trump stands for…”

There is another “first” that drives the Right insane. When Harris and Biden are elected, Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, will become the first-ever “second gentleman” and first-ever Jewish spouse of a vice president or president.

Which finally brings me back to the title of this piece, “The ‘Jewishness’ of Kamala Harris.”

Simply, Harris has a great deal of close connections with and respect for the Jewish religion and Jews (“she married one”), for the Jewish community and for the State of Israel. The latter proven repeatedly throughout her political career, notwithstanding Trump, his campaign and the Republican Jewish Committee seeking to paint Harris as a “radical leftist.”

Biden’s announcement that he had chosen Harris as his running mate drew swift praise from Jewish Democratic advocacy groups. Read more about Harris’ Israel policies in the Times of Israel’s “In Harris, Biden chooses a traditionally pro-Israel Dem as his veep candidate.”

At Haaretz, Chemi Shalev says Biden’s decision is “logical, reasonable, calculated and widely expected,” calling it “a milestone for America, good for Biden and comforting for Jews.”

In a lighter vein, Ron Kampeas describes “Five Jewish things to know about U.S. vice president candidate Kamala Harris.”

Among some of Harris’ “Jewish nuggets”:

“She smashed a glass at her wedding,” referring to her marriage to Douglas Emhoff.

“She did the blue box thing,” referring to Harris collecting donations to plant trees in Israel.

“Her big sisters are Jewish,” recalling Barbara Boxer’s and Dianne Feinstein’s — both Jewish — endorsements during her 2016 senatorial race.

Finally, Emhoff’s children from his first marriage affectionately call Harris “Momala,” a nickname similar to the Yiddish “Mamaleh,” which means “little mama” and also happens to be Harris’s official Twitter account name. Harris is also said to have a close relationship with Emhoff’s first wife and a “warm relationship” with her Jewish parents-in-law. The friendly, close relationship is reflected in a hilarious, good-natured imitation Harris did in 2019 of her mother-in-law, Barbara Emhoff, about which the Jewish press raved and Kveller wrote: “Kamala Harris’ impression of her Jewish mother-in-law is worthy of an Oscar.”

Now, that ought to count for something!

As to Harris’ own religion, while growing up Harris attended a Black Baptist Church and a Hindu Temple. She now considers herself a Black Baptist.

Yonat Shimron at the Salt Lake Tribune says it best: “Harris’ ethnic, racial and cultural biography represents a slice of the U.S. population that is becoming ascendant but that has never been represented in the nation’s second-highest office.”

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CODA: …and now, hopefully, in the nation’s highest office.

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