Vice president-elect Kamala Harris, among others, represents a burgeoning authentic representation of what America looks like.
Edited by Jordan Guzzi
The election of 2020 led with former Vice President Joe Biden running against the incumbent Donald Trump. Perhaps the ludicrousy that described much of the Presidential debates overshadowed the implications of his cabinet.
Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris represents a myriad of firsts. She will be the first woman in higher office; she will also be the first Jamaican woman and the first Indian woman in such a position. But the scope of newly elected diversity extends beyond that of just the Executive branch.
Sarah McBride (Delaware) has become the first openly transgender state senator in US history.
Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torress (from New York) are the first openly gay black men to be elected to Congress.
Marilyn Strickland (Washington) is the first Korean-American woman official to be elected to Congress. She also represents Washington’s first black representative.
In the House, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib— dubbed “The Squad” by Ocasio-Cortez — have defended their respective seats.
What these results reflect is not a growing list of high office accomplishments, but more of an accurate reflection of this nation. A country founded and built by immigrants, the US consists of almost 20% immigrants today, more than that of any other nation. To neglect accurate representation in the higher-courts of this nation is to reject the presence of these minority groups; it’s only natural for legislature and policies made by a homogenous government to marginalize the aforementioned communities.
The era of the Biden administration represents a time of change. The men and women that are being elected paint a more cohesive portrait of the American people.
Sources:
https://www.businessinsider.com/history-making-moments-diversity-representation-2020-electio n-2020-11#sarah-mcbride-became-the-nations-first-openly-transgender-state-senator-1
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/12/05/USAT/751f29ad-47cd-4791-9506-d4b6b846b53e-KamalaHarris.jpg?crop=3703,2083,x0,y188&width=3200&height=1801&format=pjpg&auto=webp https://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2020_38/3412422/200916-sarah_mcbride_-mc-1337_9bc2dd0a5edcfdac5f8d9078a8850ede.nbcnews-fp-1200-630.JPG https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/mondaire-jones-Ritchie-Torres-diptych.jpg?quality=85&w=1024&h=512&crop=1 https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2020_45/3426331/201105-marilyn-strickland-jm-2121_88fe21e88a768ec421e9d631bec26b87.jpg
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