Kamala Harris is the 49th vice president of the United States and is the first female ever to serve in this position. She also makes history by being the first African American and the first Asian American to be vice president. She serves under President Joe Biden.

 

Fun Facts

• Before becoming vice president, Kamala Harris served two terms as attorney general of California and also as a United States Senator.
• Kamala Harris is the daughter of two immigrants. Her mother is originally from India, and her father is originally from Jamaica.
• Harris chose to run for president of the United States in 2020. She lost to Joe Biden as the Democrat candidate, but then he chose her as his running mate.
• The name “Kamala” comes from the Sanskrit word for lotus and also is the name for a Hindu deity. She was given this name to help her remember her cultural identity.
• Harris is the oldest of two children. Her parents were divorced when she was seven years old. She spent most of her time with her mother and visited her father during vacations and summers.
• She lived in Montreal Canada during junior high and high school where her mother worked on research at a hospital and taught at a university.
• Kamala Harris was the first woman and person of color to be the district attorney in San Franscisco. She was the first woman and black person to be the attorney general of California, and the first black senator from California.
• Harris is married to an attorney named Doug Emhoff and is a step mother to his two children.
• She loves to cook and is an avid reader.
• Kamala Harris has written a children’s book called “Superheros are Everywhere.”

 

 

Vocabulary

1. Immigrant: A person who comes to live permanently in a different country.
2. Sanskrit: A classical language of South Asia.
3. State Attorney General: The top legal officer for the sate and a lawyer for its citizens.

 

 

Questions and Answers

Question: How does a politician become the vice president.

Answer: Candidates for president are nominated by the major political parties. These nominees choose the person they want to run with them in the position of vice president. They are called running mates.

 

Learn More

Listen to Kamala Harris reading the book she wrote for children.