Ahead of the first vice presidential debate on Wednesday, Kamala Harris's appearance is symbolic and meaningful for many people in the Asian American Pacific Islander community as she is the first Asian American to be running for vice president.
People are honoring the historic moment by sharing photos of family members and other influential AAPI figures in their lives with the hashtag #AAPISheRose.
Asian Americans honored historic figures and their late grandparents, who they said would have been proud to see Harris on the debate stage.
This is my grandma, Nancy Yee, who came to the US and ran 2 small businesses, raised 4 kids and lived her dream with an enduring acting career in Hollywood. I know she would stand with @KamalaHarris as we honor her today and #VOTE! #AAPISheRose
"This is my mom, Shui Kuen Chin," wrote Twitter user @Curischin. "She raised 6 kids while working at our restaurant. She didn't graduate high school, but all of her kids went to college."
To celebrate Sen. Harris on the debate stage tonight, let's honor smart & strong AAPI women. This is my mom, Shui Kuen Chin. She raised 6 kids while working at our restaurant. She didn't graduate high school, but all of her kids went to college. #AAPISheRose. @AAPIsforBiden
"This is my halmoni," which means "grandmother" in Korean, "who was a first-responder in Hiroshima after the atomic bomb dropped," wrote @jmulvz26. "Today, I honor her as I watch @KamalaHarris take the debate stage."
This is my halmoni, who was a first-responder in Hiroshima after the atomic bomb dropped, immigrated to the US in her 30s, & earned her an RN in childbirth education in NYC. Today, I honor her as I watch @KamalaHarris take the debate stage. #AAPISheRose
The hashtag was created by Joe Biden supporters who "wanted to show [their] support for her on this momentous day of the first debate, while also connecting her to a long lineage of strong, powerful, resilient AAPI women," said Jeff Yang, a CNN columnist who helped organize the hashtag.
"It's not about 'claiming' her, because she claims herself," Yang added. "She's emphatically Black, emphatically Asian American, and has celebrated both of her lineages as deeply influential to her makeup and her rise."
AAPI celebrities were also called to share. Actor Daniel Dae Kim honored two Asian American women in Hollywood who inspired his own career. Author Viet Thanh Nguyen shared an image of his mother, who he said "was a refugee twice, and a self-made woman twice." And fellow author Jenny Han amplified a tweet from user @LiuJefferson of his mother: "First generation. Taiwanese American. #DomesticAbuse survivor. #breastcancer survivor. Worked 3 jobs. Put 2 kids through college. Newly retired. Loves animal prints."
On the eve of a historic #VPDebate featuring @KamalaHarris, the 1st woman of Asian & African descent, I’d like to honor 2 AAPI women who paved the way for so many. @TisaChang & #JadinWong, I will always remember the support you gave this young struggling actor. #AAPISheRose #vote
Loving reading all the #AAPISheRose posts! So proud and excited to see @KamalaHarris take the stage tonight. https://t.co/WJ1mYJT9D6