MONTREAL — While Vice President Kamala Harris frequently speaks about her cultural heritage and identity, she rarely discusses her formative years in Canada, where she attended high school in Montreal. Harris moved to Canada with her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher who taught at McGill University, after her parents divorced. Harris attended Westmount High School, a diverse public school that her former classmates believe played a role in shaping her inclusive worldview.
Her family moved to Canada in 1976 and she spent her formidable years in middle school and high school in America’s neighbor to the north.
One former schoolmate described Westmount as a melting pot, with students from a variety of backgrounds, including Jamaican, Barbadian, Indian, and Chinese. “Because of the multiculturalism and her ability to connect with people from different backgrounds, I think that molded her very well for the position she’s in now,” the former classmate said.
Despite the potential influence of her Canadian upbringing, Harris has remained mostly silent about her time in Montreal. Political analysts suggest this is because her Canadian experience doesn’t offer much political advantage in American elections. “She has been quite quiet about her Canadian experience,” one commentator noted, adding that it’s unlikely to become a point of contention in U.S. politics, as Harris was born in the United States and there is no significant anti-Canadian sentiment for rivals to exploit.
For some supporters, particularly women of color, Harris’s achievements are inspiring, regardless of where she grew up. “I didn’t grow up seeing somebody that looked like me in the political eye, and that high up in office,” said one young supporter. “This is truly going to be revolutionary … it’s going to inspire so many other people to get involved in politics.”
As Harris continues her political career, the focus remains on her record and identity within an American context, while her Canadian roots largely go unmentioned. Her time in Montreal, however, remains an important chapter in her life story, one that subtly influenced the woman who would go on to become the first Black and South Asian woman to hold the office of Vice President of the United States.
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