Hey folks. Last week my weekly note to CAFE insiders was a personal reflection on the news that Joe Biden had selected Senator Comma Harris, as is running they. It seems to arrest. added with insiders, so I wanted to share with a wider cafe community. What follows is a wording of my note, as always right to US letters at CAFE: dot com with your thoughts and questions. Dear listener. I've been thinking a lot about come Le Harris being on the democratic ticket, among other things have been reflect And the spirited and happy we action, not just among Democrats, not just about Americans, but the partition our joy of the indian American Community, myself included and more particularly among older indian american immigrants, many of whom were the first to I from South Asia in this country. People, like my mom, about whom I tweeted Tuesday, quote the most cited person I talked to today was my indian mom, because she cannot wait to vote for vice president

well uh Davy Harris end quote South asian writer, tweeted quote, I'm sort of indifferent come on Harris, but I, that my mom is crying listening to come will speak right now. End quote then your times has already published two pieces about the exciting response from the community. I spoke to one of their borders. Today. For this article in the discussion sparked further reflection. Twemlow, to a strange country, is no easy thing. Even if you believe that the new country promises limitless opportune It is scary and sad to leave everything behind to abandon the familiar in favour of the far away I first met couple Harris in the summer of two thousand seven, where she, while the crime, as a day of San Francisco. I also gave a speech at the conference which I looked up this morning, because I had a faint recollection that I talked about the courage of immigrants. I said this this convention. Only come to pass, because every family of every south asian sitting in this room sometime in the rear,

past, took an enormous leap of faith and cross border, often a series of borders, my father was born in nineteen. Thirty, nine, For their even was a border dividing India and Pakistan, he was born August on each side of that boundary, because he was seek. He understood. We in seven million others moved to the indian side, giving up all of their property and most of their possessions My wife's father, on the other hand, was a few years earlier, indian side of that boundary, but because he was a Muslim. He and his family and seven million. More went the other way and moved to Pakistan also lost their homes and much much more to men to borders crossed That's not really bridged until after the crew into America and fifty three years later there so. daughter were joined in marriage, all of us here now, comfortably in American can thank those family members who endure great discomfort and distress to come west for a better life

And we should remember that in each of these acts of migration, repeated hundreds of thousands of times lies a quantum of care and will and daring that few of us will. Have to summon. For my own part, I In short, I could handle the move from an haven't Bethesda two years ago. What does this have do what the emotional reaction to come a Harris's selection as VP candidate part of it, I think, is this I imagine there's a little voice in every immigrants head asking. Was it worth? It was the right thing to do to leave your family, your country, your culture, your traditions, to some extent, even your idea to travel to America, where you may or may not make it may not be understood, may not be fully accepted, may be discriminated against. The voice must ask urgently from time to time. Was this worth it This is the question lieutenant Colonel Alexander, Finland. to be trying to answer during his impeachment testimony last fall when he risk the rat. and retaliation of the president in order to speak

his story from a lonely in his table congressional hearing room women's rights We addressed his late father who came to America. two years earlier, a brave jewish refugee from the Soviet Union dad. I'm sitting here today in the. U S: capital talking to your elected professionals is proof that you made the right choice Forty years ago, to leave the Soviet Union come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry I'll, be fine for telling the truth. He is fine, of course, but he paid the price for his honour and was driven out of the military. Was it the right decision? The voice asks mostly, I imagine, immigrants like my parents, answer that voice with great confidence. Yes, yes, it was worth it. Yes, it was right. We have freedom and we have opportunity, we built a home and we built a family. We are living the american dream. And they can be happy and proud and even relieved when their children do well when they- except

business and in the community, but there, also worries and stress when you were a newcomer when you are an outsider Even after years of productive life in America, will you be accepted fully and not just superficially. In your adopted home, you hear the voices of hatred, you see the bands, you read the policies, you hear your president talk about two countries, you see hate crime, Pick up you see Charlottesville, you may wonder if you're naturalisation papers will be the section you earned and proof of the love. You feel you can sometimes wonder about your place here. and then a woman born of jamaican dad and an indian mom is tat for the vice presidency. Her name is commonly Davy Harris and she has a shot in the is that little voice again. The same old question was the right decision, and at that moment it becomes even more clear. Ass. He was a dark skinned woman claimed Outsider communities, black and asian, who may soon

represent the United States of America to the world. this is why my mom called this is why her friends cried In part, celebration of the possible But it is also elation at the f you to Stephen Miller and every the racist, xenophobic massages who fears and banished to the dustbin by this composite of all that they hate and seek to keep down. I love America and I'm fired up my best pre. Thank you for listening to me. Courting of my weekly note, weekly notes for me, or a part of the capping insider membership, which also features USA by Elly hunted, the CAFE insider podcast. I co host with an the United Security Podcast, hosted by LISA Monaco and can wasting the cyberspace podcast, hosted by John

bonus, material from stay tuned and more to become a member and get two weeks free had to cafe dot com, slash insider to all of our insiders. Thank you for supporting our work.