By now, I’m sure everyone’s seen numerous edits of Kamala Harris’s quote from a May 2023 White House event: “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” The Vice President credits her mother for this iconic, silly declaration; she said her mother used to “give [her] a hard time” and say that to her as a child. So naturally, I have to wonder if Harris’s mother is aware that this quote has taken on a life of its own. Has she seen the TikToks? If so, were they her first introduction to Chappell Roan and Charli xcx? What does she think of her words of wisdom transforming into a viral phenomenon, and furthermore, an unofficial slogan for her daughter’s presidential campaign? Is she proud of her daughter?
I wonder this in large part because my own mom has some thoughts on the whole situation. When President Joe Biden first dropped out of the presidential election on July 21, I gleefully texted my mom to celebrate the fact that we might finally get a BIPOC woman as president. But my mom expressed concern about Harris’s potential as a candidate; although she described Harris as “smart” and “sensible,” she doubted the Vice President’s ability to present herself in a confident and personable manner. “I wish Harris would do something to spruce up her image and presentation,” my mom had texted me.
I feel comfortable respectfully disagreeing with my mom on this; since I know we are both following the “vote blue no matter who” mindset, I don’t feel the need to change her opinion on Harris. But still, I’m struck by the contrast in how we think about Harris. I mean, the very same qualities that make Harris less “likable” and “charismatic” to my mom are some of the aspects about the candidate that excite me the most.
In this election — my first presidential election as a legal adult — I no longer feel like I’m voting for the “lesser of two evils” candidate just because it is my civic responsibility (which is how I felt up until Biden dropped out). Now, I’m actually looking forward to casting a vote for someone I see myself in — not just because Harris is an Indian-American woman like me, but because she’s also an Indian-American woman who’s not afraid to show her lighthearted, “kooky” side.
Growing up, I was always afraid to show the less serious sides of myself, hindered by expectations from my traditional South Asian parents to always be “on,” appear put-together and professional, and hide my true colors in most situations. It’s a pattern I’ve noticed in the communities I was raised in, whose values stress discipline, perfection, and overachievement to the extreme. If I were to ever incorporate a sassy coconut tree-esque quote into a class presentation — my current equivalent to a political speaking engagement — my parents would flip.
But what I’d respectfully encourage those with this traditional South Asian mindset to understand is that Harris’s kookiness is working. The “coconut tree” video clip actually reached virality thanks in part because it was uploaded by an account called @RNCResearch in an attempt to attack Harris. It’s a similar story with the clip of Harris dancing to a Cardi B song that’s been circulating on X/Twitter. While some of the people posting these videos are hoping to show people how “unpresidential” Harris is, in reality, these moments where Harris is just being herself have made people want to vote for her even more. Many people love seeing her true personality and admire her ability to let go and have a little fun, even as she runs for the highest political office in the entire country.
As someone who was raised on a mindset so opposite of this, I love that Harris is an Indian-American who doesn’t take herself too seriously. Not only is it making me even more excited to vote for her, but it’s also giving me the courage to be more myself, too.