Kamala Harris illustrates how complex identity is − and the pressure many multiracial people feel to put themselves in one ‘box’

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is often asked questions about her multiracial identity. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin by Wilson K. Okello, Penn State People sometimes feel pressured to choose one identity over another. Kamala Harris, who is multiracial – her mother is from India and her father is a Black immigrant from Jamaica – illustrates the complexity of defining identity. Harris is often asked questions about her Black identity. She has responded by saying how it relates to her sense of self. “I’m really clear about who I am, and if anybody else is not, they need to go through their own therapy.” At the National Association of Black Journalists conference, in July 2024, former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump questioned her Black identity by saying, “Is she Indian or is she Black?” The question reflected a narrow, either/or approach. As a scholar who draws from the ideas of Black thinkers to explore how society works, I know that identity is not the result of a single decision, but rather the confluence of several factors, such as someone’s environment and socialization. ‘The Truths We Hold’ Harris’ parents, Donald Harris and Shyamala Gopalan, met at the University...