Kamala Harris’ Indian roots echo Obama’s global appeal in race against Trump

In a small Tamil Nadu village in southern India, thousands of miles from the political hubbub of Washington, banners are waving for Kamala Harris, proudly proclaiming her a “daughter of the land”.

The US presidential candidate’s Indian roots run deep, with her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, hailing from this very village: Thulasendrapuram. Harris has spoken fondly of her mother’s influence, immersing her in Indian culture and instilling values of social justice from a young age.

“My mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, travelling from India to California with an unshakeable dream,” Harris, 56, shared at the Democratic National Convention in August.

“She taught us never to complain about injustice but to do something about it.”

Gopalan was a breast cancer researcher who emigrated to the US in 1958. She died in 2009, aged 70.