“Don’t forget to thank me when you become president!”

This was something my dad always told me when I was growing up. The first time he said this to me was when I questioned out loud something I was being taught in Sunday school. I don’t remember what the lesson was, but what I do remember was the confidence but also uncertainty I felt about my father’s explanation.

As a young child, I never thought of questioning my courage and arrogance. After all, if my father believes so, these must be good qualities. I kept seeing my father watching the nightly news on TV: big men talking loudly about big promises. If they had come to a powerful position with the same attitude as me, maybe I would too. it could be Be president one day.

However, this idea was quickly abandoned when I entered secondary school. During this period, I internalized the ideas that the strong is not feminine, the brave is not beautiful, and a leader is not a woman. This was forced on me until I believed I needed to be less aggressive so as not to scare the boys. I fit myself into this mold of what a girl should be, especially an Asian American girl.

I continued to try to make myself “less,” less opinionated, less loud, and less political, in hopes of assimilating into my predominantly white high school. I did the same thing when I came to a predominantly white college. But it felt discouraging, like I was disappointing my younger self.

Finally, something changed in me during this period. One day, while scrolling through TikTok before class, I came across a clip that has now gone viral: Alex Cooper Call His Father section With Vice President Kamala Harris. I was about to scroll again — already exhausted from all the election content and in no mood to watch another campaign-related video — until Harris said something that stopped me in my tracks: “There are a lot of women here who aren’t doing this.” I aim to be humble.

To hear a woman, especially an Asian American woman, say this is groundbreaking. To me, I felt like an expression allowed women, especially women of color, to create a space that was more than cute. It reaffirmed that women can want more beyond a home and children, and that no woman should feel like they have to be “less than” to be accepted and tolerated.

The moment was emblematic of Harris’ entire campaign. In just 107 daysHarris showed the country that women of color can be bold, loud and opinionated, and that’s not a bad thing. In his campaign speeches, he proved to be poised and strong, not silent or submissive. As the first presidential candidate to serve in all three branches of government, Harris has become a prime example of the courage and strength of women of color, inspiring countless women and girls to embrace these traits with pride rather than disparagement. make it more delicious. This made me realize that if the country had had an Asian American female presidential candidate like Harris when I was growing up, the idea of ​​being president would not have seemed as ridiculous or unattainable as it did to my teenage self.

On election night, I was deeply saddened to see more and more states turning red instead of blue; which inevitably led to Harris’ loss. After the election was called, people took to the internet to say her loss proved once again that a black woman could be well-spoken, educated and highly qualified. but still it may never be enough. Despite this, I still believe Harris’ campaign is an inspiration to so many people, especially little black girls in this country. Harris showed them that their dreams didn’t have to be contained, that they didn’t have to be “less than.” He showed them that representation matters because it builds trust, encourages new ideas, and strengthens entire communities and individuals. And he showed them that they could truly aspire to be successful leaders, perhaps even president one day.