Samra Haseeb is still figuring out who to vote for in November.
On paper, Kamala Harris, who is Black and Indian, represents a new world of possibilities for women of color. She’s several firsts: A woman, a Black woman, a woman of South Asian descent and the first to serve as vice president. And if she defeats Republican candidate Donald Trump in November, she’d be the first woman to serve as president of the United States.
In theory, Haseeb said she’s excited about Harris representing her community, but she isn’t sure the vice president has really incorporated her identity in a positive way into her work.
“Representation alone will not save us,” said Haseeb, a 22-year-old Indian-American graduate student at the University of Illinois Chicago. “Unfortunately, I don’t feel like it’s enough for me to vote for her.”
For some young women of color, specifically Black and Indian women who share Harris’ ethnic identity, the presidential ticket is historic and emotional. And while Harris has been clear about her stance on other issues that are important to them, such as reproductive health, the economy and immigration, for others, this pivotal moment challenges the idea of representation. They are at a crossroads with what they say are Harris’ unclear intentions on a cease-fire in Gaza.
“It’s definitely hard to get behind her when she hasn’t done much to stop what’s happening in Gaza for over 10 months,” Haseeb said.
As polls suggest, Haseeb is like many women her age, trying to figure out what this political moment means for her and her generation. According to National Public Radio polls, among voters under 35, 1 in 10 remain undecided about whether to choose Harris or Trump. Still, according to a July Axios/Generation Lab poll, 45% of young people say they have an extremely or somewhat favorable opinion of Harris.
“She could be using this opportunity now that Joe Biden’s not running, to right some of his wrongs and try to win our votes back,” Haseeb added. “It wouldn’t be an excited vote, but it would be better late than never.”
Deyona Burton, a recent graduate of Florida State University and the director of programs for College Democrats of America, is balancing the joy of being represented in a presidential nominee as she works to get Harris elected and being sensitive to the issues her generation cares about.
“I’m from Florida — reproductive rights are on the ballot, the Supreme Court is on the ballot, Gaza is on the ballot — my humanity is on the ballot,” Burton said. “It was said in a speech — to love this country is to fight for this country and to fight for this country is to fight for all people — literally everybody.”
While many South Asian and Black women believe Harris is more likely than Joe Biden to hear their concerns, a lot of young voters want stronger, more equitable policies on Gaza before they cast their votes.
A survey done by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding earlier this year found that over 60% of the general public ages 18 to 29 favor a cease-fire in Gaza.
“We typically are more left or more progressive, I think that happens every generation, but for this generation specifically it has been a turning point,” Burton said.
“Gaza, for one, has been at the forefront of every conversation. And a lot of people go back and forth on whether or not you should care about it, whether or not you should speak on it, but I think my peers and my generation have set the precedent that if we do not speak out about horrendous acts, horrible things that are happening, what’s stopping it from happening to us?”
Though not a protester, Haseeb echoed the sentiments shared by pro-Palestinian protests that popped up during the Democratic National Convention.
“I feel like people are getting caught up in ‘oh she’s young, she’s different. But it feels very much like she’s going to be a continuation of Joe Biden and that’s not a win for women of color,” Haseeb said.
Burton, 21, acknowledged the divide on Harris, but is holding the historic nature of her candidacy closer.
This is Burton’s first convention. She was visibly excited Wednesday to be in Chicago working at the DNC as a staffer. “Seeing Black people in these spaces is amazing — I mean, how can we even begin to describe that experience?” she said as she ushered her boss, Pennsylvania’s Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, into the Black Caucus council on Wednesday at McCormick Place.
“I genuinely believe that seeing Kamala Harris in office could start to dismantle the tangible effects of racism,” Burton said. “Little black girls everywhere will know you can be anything — you could be a teacher, a lawyer. You can be in the military. You could be a doctor, you could be a professor. You could be the president of the United States. I think that it means a lot.”
Working alongside her peers and politicians, Burton said she understands why young people are hesitant to cast their votes. However, with Biden out of the presidential race, Burton thinks they should allow Harris to separate herself and not write her off prematurely.
“I think there’s a certain level of grace that needs to be allocated because (Harris) has the right to determine what her stance is on (Gaza), and not as the vice president,” Burton said. “She’s already called for a cease-fire and I understand that words are just words, but for me, that’s a win — that’s a step in the right direction. I don’t want it to be a red stain on her, because I believe that she should … be afforded the opportunity to do something about it.”
Laila Fierce, 15, and her mother, Naima Walker Fierce, outside a friend’s apartment before boarding a ride-share, Aug. 21, 2024. They attended the Democratic National Conference at the United Center. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Even those not yet of voting age are passionate about Harris’ prospects, such as Laila Fierce, 15, who flew into Chicago on Saturday from Nashville with high hopes of attending the convention at the United Center. Laila and her mom, Naima Walker Fierce, secured credentials in time for one of the biggest draws of the convention: Barack and Michelle Obama.
While Fierce couldn’t stay for Harris’ acceptance speech at the United Center because of school, she said the experience would have been momentous. “It’s about time,” Fierce said about Harris as the Democratic nominee. “It’s about time,” Fierce said about Harris as the Democratic nominee. “As a country that’s as diverse as America, it makes no sense for the three branches of government to be mostly white.”
Fierce said that, as a woman of color, Harris understands the struggles of marginalized communities more than other politicians in D.C. “The tide is definitely shifting,” Fierce said. “She’s gaining momentum online. People can see Kamala is more authentic, and more people can relate to her.”
By the time she’s eligible to vote, Laila said she wants to see “major reforms.” Many Americans are looking to Harris to make that happen when it comes to issues like “discrimination ingrained deep into the government and society, systemic racism, mass incarceration, drug use and violence,” she said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday afternoon, at McCormick Place, 15-year-old Aisha Khan, who is Indian-American and attends Niles West High School in Skokie, was walking around the DNC as part of the Illinois Youth Press Corps.
Khan said she is hopeful she will witness history in November.
“It excites me to see someone that looks like me as both a woman and as a half-Indian woman,” she said. “While I don’t agree with her on many things, I’m just so excited to see someone be able to break so many barriers to become president.”
Aisha said she doesn’t think it’s necessary to agree with a candidate to vote for them and wonders if more people with the “power to vote” should use their votes as a strategic choice instead.
“It’s a choice we make to ensure that our voices are heard,” Aisha said. “Many people in my age group are paying attention to the war (in Gaza) right now and I feel like they’re holding politicians accountable — so while we may support voting for Kamala, that doesn’t mean we support all of her policies and (since we) can vote next time, we’ll make sure she earns it.”
