SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Diya TV) — Maya Harris, sister to Vice President Kamala Harris, participated in a Diwali celebration in Arizona as part of the outreach by the Harris-Walz campaign to Indian American voters before the 2024 election. Harris is glad she could participate in this event that was held here in Scottsdale because according to her, good triumphing over evil is a great message to give on Diwali. She appealed to this community to exercise its right to vote in this great swing state.
In remarks to the about 100 attendees, Harris reflected on the inspiring journey of her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, who immigrated to the United States from India in 1958. “It was virtually unheard of for a young woman to travel that distance on her own,” Harris said, describing her mother as “fierce” and “courageous.” She also shared her mother’s teachings about unity, quoting a message often echoed by the vice president: “We all have so much more in common than what separates us.”
Harris’s visit comes at a time when both parties are stepping up efforts to reach Indian American voters, the country’s second-largest immigrant voting bloc. With Arizona increasingly becoming one of the main battleground states, mobilization of the minority communities in particular, like South Asians, has taken on a pivotal role in the Democratic campaign.
Simi Singh, a co-director of South Asians for Harris in Arizona, hosted the Diwali event. “It’s been a hot and laborious month,” Singh said, adding, “That’s the miracle of this movement. Show up and do something.” Cultural traditions included the lighting of oil lamps and the vibrancy of marigold flowers, which are meant to bring good fortune in Hindu culture.
Many of the attendees wore traditional saris and kurtas, but regardless of their outfits, were vocal in their praise of Harris’ words. Attendee Priyanca Kotwal said she was moved by Harris’ account of her mother’s journey adding that it resonated with many Indian American families.
Such campaigning over Diwali tells a larger strategy that Democrats have used in preparing towards entering diverse communities before elections. Vice President Harris’ heritage Indian and Jamaican serves as a beacon to these efforts though at times in question.
In the wake of the latest polls, which showed an extremely tight race between Harris and former President Donald Trump in Arizona, it has been a make-or-break moment for Maya Harris’s plea for high turnout. Indian American voters continue to top the list in terms of concern for inflation, as reported in new surveys. Indian American voters have long been faithful Democratic constituencies, but Republican numbers have grown significantly over recent years.
As the campaign continues, these events remind voters of their role in shaping the nation’s future and the importance of culture and politics in the process.