In her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for the White House, US Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted her “unexpected” path and the parallels with the struggles of her Indian immigrant mother.

“The United States, the journey that brought me here a few weeks ago was certainly unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” said Harris, now officially the Democratic nominee for the November election.

“My mother, Shyamala Harris, had one of these. I miss her every day and especially now. I know he’s looking down on me tonight and smiling,” the current vice president said, referring to the 2009 death of her mother, a central figure in her life.

By her recollection, her mother was 19 when she crossed “the world alone,” traveling from India to California with “the unshakable dream of becoming a scientist who would cure breast cancer” – an area in which she made important advances, becoming one of the most prominent researchers in the field.

The vice president recalled her mother’s teachings and explained that whenever she and her sister Maya complained about some injustice, their mother would tell them, “Do something about it.”

Harris became the party’s nominee tonight, taking an unusual route in that, unlike previous candidates, she did not go through a primary process.

US President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary without serious challengers, but on July 21 he announced he was ending his campaign for president after coming under pressure from his party over his poor performance in a televised debate against former Republican President Donald Trump.

Biden then called on the party to unite behind Harris and today formally accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. (EFE)