US election: Indian-origin actor Poorna Jagannathan supports Kamala Harris
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Nov 5, 2024, 12:16 PM ISTThis new Hollywood actress's support for Kamala Harris comes only hours before the high-stakes election in which the Vice President will face her Republican adversary, former President Donald Trump.
Poorna Jagannathan, an Indian-origin actor best known for her appearances in films such as 'Delhi Belly' and 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani', as well as the blockbuster Netflix series 'Never Have I Ever', has backed US Vice President and Democratic contender Kamala Harris for president.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, the 51-year-old actor stated, "I am wholeheartedly supporting Kamala Harris. This is a very multi-issue election for me. I am an immigrant, a survivor of sexual violence, believe there should be a ceasefire and peace in the Middle East, and I have experienced the effects of climate change."
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"And for all these reasons, I am a huge believer in not only what the Democratic Party thinks, but what she (Harris) stands for. It is a very personal election for me," she added.
This new celebrity support for Harris comes only hours before the high-stakes election in which the Vice President will face her Republican adversary, former President Donald Trump.
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When questioned about Indian-American voters' perceptions of the 2024 election cycle, Jagannathan stated that it was not only members of the Indian community, but also groups of individuals from other ethnicities that came together to support Harris.
Regarding her message to Indian-American voters who were still unsure about which candidate to support for President, the actor stated that the decision "depends on who they are as a person".
"There is a big divide right now between Indian-American women and Indian-American men. For Indian-Americans in general, you have to remember where we came from and who we are. We may be perceived as the minority or immigrants who are not threatened when Trump sends Diwali messages. But don't be fooled," she warned.
"What happens to one immigrant group will affect us as well. This is exactly what we saw after 9/11. There was so much Islamophobia, it also affected our Sikh brothers and sisters. The horrors that happens to one immigrant group, we are not exclusive to it. Trump's immigration policies are brutal and unfair, and we have to see ourselves as immigrants."
The actor also discussed abortion rights, which are one of the most heated subjects in this year's election, and stated that they affect both men and women.
Jagannathan has joined a long list of celebrities who have backed Kamala Harris in the presidential campaign.
The list includes prominent performers such as Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Eminem; actresses Julia Roberts, Kerry Washington, Samuel L Jackson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger; and NBA players LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
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