May is Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and Vice President Kamala Harris made headlines by using the word “f-ing” in her conversation with Jimmy O. Yang at the AIPACS Summit on Monday (May 13). It’s good that she finally got some media attention, and it would be even better if they noted what else she had to say.
Here’s the full context:
Breaking barriers does not mean you start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side. There’s breaking involved. And when you break things, you get cut and you may bleed. And it is worth it every time. Every time.
When you walk in those rooms being the only one who looks like you, the only one with your background, you walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back. Be it a meeting room, a boardroom, a courtroom, a hearing room, you walk in those rooms knowing that we are all in those rooms with you, applauding you on and expecting certain things from you, including that you will not be silent in those rooms and that we expect that from you because we also expect that you will internalize and know we’re there with you. And so, your voice can be strong.
It is — as Alisha said my mother would say to me, “Don’t you ever let anybody tell you who you are. You tell them who you are.” Don’t ever carry as a personal burden your capacity to do whatever you dream and aspire to do based on other people’s limited ability to see who can do what.
We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won’t. And then you need to kick that f-ing door down. (Laughter and applause.) Excuse my language. (Laughter and applause.)
The entire conversation is well worth a listen:
Later on Monday, President Biden and Vice President Harris delivered remarks at a reception in celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month.
Excerpts from VP Harris’ remarks:
As many of you may know, my mother arrived in the United Staes from India when she was 19 years old, by herself, never having been to America. My mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters — my sister, Maya, and me — and to end breast cancer. She was a breast cancer researcher.
My mother never asked anyone’s permission to pursue her dreams. And it is because of her character, strength, and determination that within one generation I stand before you as Vice President of the United States. (Applause.)
Like so many, we were raised, all of us, to understand the value of hard work, the importance of community, and the duty we all have to have some level of concern and care about the well-being of other people and our duty, then, to do something about it.
I’ll close by this — I am reminded of the words of one of my dearest friends and a mentor to me, Secretary Norm Mineta. Norm often said, “You have two arms: one to climb the ladder of success and one to reach down and pick someone up and pull them up behind you.”
Tuesday (May 14) VP Harris was in New York City, where she appeared on the Sherri Shepherd Show and held two campaign events.
It was a fun conversation, with some serious discussion too:
Wednesday (May 15) VP Harris made a surprise visit to the Indian American Impact Summit:
In the evening, she and Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff hosted an event in celebration of Dia de las Madres at the Vice President’s residence.
Thursday (May 16) Vice President Harris was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for her third Nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour event, a moderated conversation with comedian, D. L. Hughley. Later in the afternoon, she was at a campaign event in Glencoe, Illinois.
VP Harris’ Tweets represent some important points made during her conversation with D. L. Hughley. I highly recommend watching the entire, engaging, conversation.
Friday (May 17) VP Harris and President Biden met with the Divine Nine (thank you, Denise Oliver-Velez, for educating people about the importance of these Black fraternities and sororities).
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Vote and GOTV. “When we fight. We win!” — VP Kamala Harris
