July 22nd 2024.
On a sunny day at the White House in Washington, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the crowd from the South Lawn. But as her name was announced, it was mispronounced once again. This was not the first time Harris had faced this issue, and it seemed like it wouldn't be the last. Despite being a familiar face in the political scene, her name always seemed to give people trouble.
Harris, who is currently running for the Democratic nomination, has a lot on her plate in the months leading up to the presidential election. One of the things on her agenda is to get people to say her name correctly. In 2016, when she was running for the US Senate, she shared a campaign video on Twitter that featured children demonstrating the correct pronunciation of her first name. "It's not CAM-el-uh. It's not KUH-mahl-uh. It's not KARMEL-UH," they explained. "It's 'COM-mah-la', with emphasis on the first syllable."
The video resurfaced recently when almost half of the speakers at the Republican National Convention mispronounced her name. Whether intentional or not, this mispronunciation is often seen as a sign of disrespect. During the convention, journalist Eugene Daniels asked New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu if this was a deliberate tactic. Sununu seemed taken aback by the question and quickly denied any ill intentions. "If I'm pronouncing her name wrong, I apologize," he said. "I say Kuh-MAL-a Harris. I am honestly telling you, I would not disrespect someone by pronouncing their name wrong."
But this wasn't the only instance of Harris' name being mocked. Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue openly made fun of her name by comparing it to the Spanish phrase "que mala", which translates to "so bad". This only added to the frustration and disrespect that Harris has faced regarding her name.
In the face of all this, Harris remains determined to make sure her name is said correctly. She knows that it may not be an easy task, but it is an important one. Her name, when pronounced correctly, sounds like "comma-la". It is a beautiful and unique name that she is proud of, and she wants to make sure that it is given the respect it deserves. So, she will continue to educate and correct those who mispronounce it, with the hope that one day, her name will be said correctly without hesitation or mockery.
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