Opinion: Kamala Harris is Not Your Aunty
Is referring to Vice President Harris as ‘aunty’ a term of kinship, or a potentially insidious erasure of her professional accomplishments?
For years, my family has referred to Kamala Harris as “masi,” and while she is of no relation to my parents, they — like so many South Asian Americans — have claimed her as their own. As Bay Area natives, Harris has held a special place at our family table. My dad texted me a reminder to “Vote for Masi!” when Harris ran for Senate in 2016. My mom gets extra sentimental every time she hears Harris recall her mother Shyamala Gopalan, or sees a photo of the Harris women donning saris.
Today, Kamala Devi Harris made history as the first woman sworn into a nationally elected office. But is continuing to refer to Vice President Harris as ‘aunty’ a term of kinship, or a potentially insidious erasure of her professional accomplishments? Are we so unaccustomed to hearing the words ‘Senator’ or ‘Vice President’ in front of a woman’s name that we scramble to peg her identity to her proximity to her family — or ourselves?