When Kamala Harris took the stage for her first speech as vice president-elect, many young women, especially young women of color, saw one thing: possibility.
Harris, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, will be the first female, the first Black American and the first South Asian American to hold the second-highest seat in office.
Cassandra Bonhomme, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Haiti, was in tears as she watched her 2-year-old and 3-year-old niece celebrating in front of the television in New Jersey on Saturday.
“I was thinking, ‘One day, these little girls can be president. One day, my daughter can be president,’” Bonhomme told TODAY Parents. “It was a moment not just for Black and brown people, but for all women.”
Read on to see hear how families across the country reacted to Harris’ historic election.
Kim Rincon, mother of two, California
“My 9-year-old daughter, Jordan, started weeping. They were tears of relief. She knows Kamala Harris is going to make things better for little brown kids like her. She knows she can do anything she sets her mind to. Jordan met Kamala when she was campaigning for the preliminaries. My partner (Lianna Carrera) and I were fawning over her, but Kamala was just really focused on Jordan. Kamala understands that she’s a role model to these girls.”
Mira Sawlani Joyner, mother of three girls, Virginia
“I am an immigrant — I’m Indian and Filipino. My husband is Black. Our 7-year-old and 8-year-old started talking to each other about who between them would be president and who would be vice president. To watch them imagining themselves in those roles, it made me emotional. That a woman with a background like ours has navigated her way up to such a visible position of leadership makes anything seem possible.
Fiona Miller, mother of three, California
In Kamala Harris’ speech, when she addressed all the little girls watching, my 9-year-old said, ‘Is she talking to me?’ She was so excited. As a mom, it's something I’ll never forget.
I’m Black and Asian so to see another Black Asian woman in office, I was more emotional then I expected to be that night.
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