The unexpected trajectory of Kamala Harris’s life from a California neighbourhood to this political pinnacle is a classic example of what might be acquired by immigrants in pursuit of the American dream. (Reuters file)
A woman of Indian origin is on the cusp of making history by breaking one of the highest glass ceilings of political life. In a few months, Kamala Devi Harris might be the US president but she isn’t the only enigmatic Indian female in the limelight this election. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance is married to a very accomplished South Indian, Usha Chilukuri. This potential Second Lady is a daughter of first-generation immigrants and a graduate of elite academic institutions like Yale and Cambridge, who has also served as a clerk in the Supreme Court. They may be on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum but what Harris and Mrs Usha Vance have in common is that they grew up with traditional Indian values, to stay grounded and work tirelessly in the pursuit of achievement.
We Indians take great pride in the success of our own, overseas. Recently when Sridhar Ramaswamy was appointed as CEO of Snowflake, a US-based data cloud company, it made headlines in all the newspapers. It’s old news that several tech companies in Silicon Valley have CEOs of Indian origin like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai, who are greatly feted by industry whenever they’re here. Indian immigrants make up about 6 per cent of the US foreign-born population, second after Mexico, but top the charts in income. Clearly, Indians are far from mediocre but they need to leave India to flourish and realize their potential. The unexpected trajectory of Kamala Harris’s life from a California neighbourhood to this political pinnacle is a classic example of what might be acquired by immigrants in pursuit of the American dream.
It is worth asking, where would Harris and Usha Vance be if their parents hadn’t taken the fortuitous decision to build a future in America? In all likelihood (and if they were extremely lucky) they’d be slaving away at a respectable level at a company like Infosys, since it would have been drilled into their heads from childhood that the best that can be hoped for is a reliable job. At the ripe old age of 25, some nosy relative would have trotted out a dull and eligible man from the same caste. Instinctively, they would have internalised that being too educated and ambitious might create problems in their personal lives. To protect the fragile egos of Indian men, they would automatically have taken a step back to ensure a smooth family transition.
However emancipated and driven we might be, cultural pressures wear us down. Indeed, women know that success is an ongoing responsibility, dependent, in large measure, on how much they’re willing to sacrifice. Not to knock talent and effort which are critical to success but there’s something to be said for being in the right place at the right time — to take advantage of the right opportunities when they come along.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance kisses his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance as they arrive on the floor during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention. (Source: AP/PTI)
There is something tragic about the fact that generational hardships and a negative, autocratic atmosphere have killed the innovative spirit of Indians here, while their counterparts in the US with exactly the same qualifications are able to reach stratospheric heights. Blame it on a pompous bureaucracy or a frustrating caste system designed to keep privilege closely guarded. Whatever it is, the unspoken messaging we imbibe is to follow the beaten path rather than carve out a new one. Avoid risk at all cost because god knows trying anything new is fraught with uncertainty. Insecurity is etched into our hard drives, a feeling that what little we have might get taken away too.
This defensive, inward-looking attitude ensures no great inventions will ever come out of India, instead, we’re getting pushed down further into mediocrity. Over time we’ve become a nation of cowering citizens deferring to authority and latching onto (questionable) examples of our alleged greatness, like the invention of zero thousands of years ago. Who cares? Nobody. It’s now that counts and in the now, India is where passion comes to die.
It isn’t just sheer grit that has catapulted Harris and Usha Vance within reach of the White House. Their society is set up in a way that it’s possible to take pride in one’s roots and proudly brandish a dual identity, while also fully assimilating into the American way. The perennial outsider doesn’t exist there. It’s become fashionable to dwell on the divisions within the US but the welcoming acceptance of Harris-Vance at the highest echelons of power should serve as a valuable lesson in inclusion, for all.
The writer is director, Hutkay Films
