Vivek Ramaswamy slammed Vice President Kamala Harris for leaning out of her Indian heritage now that she’s running for the presidency.
Appearing on Fox News’ “The Story” on Wednesday, Ramaswamy noted that when she’d risen to power in California, she’d done so by stressing her Indian ancestry. But now that she’s running for president, she’s leaning entirely into her black side.
“She leaned into it when she ran for office in California, big Asian American and Indian-American population,” he said. “So she wore that when it was convenient. She is wearing a different identity now when it’s politically convenient on a national stage.”
And that’s just plain offensive to Indians.
“On a very personal level, my parents were immigrants to this country, legal immigrants from southern India — the very same part of India that her mother also emigrated from,” Ramaswamy said.
“I think it’s a hard fact, whether you like it or not, that many Indian Americans in the United States are indeed somewhat offended by the way Kamala has suddenly cast aside the Indian-American side of her identity,” he added.
Listen:
(Video Credit: Fox News)
Of course, Ramaswamy continued, presidential candidates shouldn’t be leaning into any specific racial/ethnic identity, period.
“I don’t think we should be relying on these ethnic identities at all,” he said. “We’re American. And the problem is when you’re Kamala Harris and you actually do lean into your identity politics, then you open the door to that type of criticism.”
“But if you ask me, that shouldn’t be how this election is decided one way or another. It should be decided on our own identity as Americans and what our vision is for the future of the country. And the number one thing missing in Kamala Harris’s candidacy is that she lacks that vision for the country. That’s what we’ve got to focus on,” he added.
My mother always use to say, “Don’t just sit around and complain about things. Do something.” I dearly wish she were here with us this week. pic.twitter.com/RHO2VnlZs4
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 13, 2020
The remarks from Ramaswamy came hours after former President Donald Trump broached the topic of her heritage while appearing at a National Association of Black Journalists convention.
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” he said. “I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black, and now she wants to be known as black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black?”
“I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went – she became a black person. I think somebody should look into that too,” he added.
The remarks have already triggered a flurry of “fact-checks” from the propaganda corporate press claiming Trump lied, despite an abundance of evidence that Harris had indeed for years touted her Indian heritage:
(Video Credit: Kamala Harris)
The last time Harris’ racial/ethnic identity became an issue was when she claimed in 2020 that she’d grown up celebrating Kwanzaa.
In a ratioed Twitter video posted at the time, the then-senator stated, “My sister and I, we grew up celebrating Kwanzaa.”
“Every year, our family and our extended family, we would gather around across multiple generations, and we’d tell stories,” she continued. “The kids would sit on the carpet, and the elders would sit in chairs. And we would light the candles, and of course, afterward have a beautiful meal. And of course, there was always a discussion of the seven principles. My favorite, I have to tell you, was always the one about self-determination: Kujichagulia.”
“And you know, essentially it’s about ‘be.’ ‘Be and do.’ Be the person you want to be and do the things you want to do, and do the things that need to be done. It’s about not letting anyone write our future for us, but instead going out and writing it for ourselves. And that principle motivates me today as we seek to confront the challenges facing our country and to build a brighter future for all Americans. So, to everyone who is celebrating, Happy Kwanzaa, from our family to yours,” she added.
Our Kwanzaa celebrations are one of my favorite childhood memories. The whole family would gather around across multiple generations and we’d tell stories and light the candles.
Whether you’re celebrating this year with those you live with or over Zoom, happy Kwanzaa! pic.twitter.com/21bzGHZpYe
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 26, 2020
Few believed her.
I mean.
Has she ever mentioned Kwanzaa before?I’m googling…but…♂️ pic.twitter.com/5P0D8lW4jl
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) December 26, 2020
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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