the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris took a big step forward this morning with the endorsement of the former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama Obama had previously held off his endorsement indicating he wanted a more open nomination process but as all the other Democratic dominoes of endorsement fell into place from House and Senate leadership to the clintons and others the Obamas have now put their full support behind the vice president now Harris stands to be the first woman of color at the top of the ticket and the first first woman of South Asian descent Usha Vance wife of Republican Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance is also of South Asian descent so how is New Jersey South Asian Community reacting to their representation in this election senior correspondent Brenda Flanigan takes a look good afternoon the camela Harris campaign galvanized communities of color Across the Nation as a first generation daughter of immigrants from and India Harris celebrates her Heritage and it resonates deeply for many New Jersey residents with South Asian Roots who feel she's one of their own like activist KY elangovan her mother and my parents are from the same part of India tadu and I know our ancestors would be so proud of her and her leadership and I definitely am so proud of her her grandmother and my grandmother have the same name and her family is from the same area of India that my family is from it's pretty emotional and and pretty amazing state senator Vin gal says South Asians comprise one of Jersey's fastest growing minorities close to 5% of New Jersey residents more than any other state about 430,000 of them are from India clustered mostly in middlex County towns like Edison and Plainsboro but gaining economic and political influence Statewide we're seeing more uh judges more police officers College presidents it's really an incred in area of assimilation uh at this moment that's why I think that as Generations go um we're going to see more and more I think it would be a very much needed positive change uh it's a time when probably we need a women power I'm going to V for her she's a good person that support translates into campaign funds for Harris a recent National Zoom fundraiser for Asian-American native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women raised a quarter million dollars similar events reigned even more cash electing Kamala Harris to the Oval Office would shatter several glass ceilings and hoboken's may hopes she could also help heal some of the racial anger plaguing America and New Jersey I think we can come together on issues of common concern racial Injustice um especially after the pandemic when you see anti-asian hate is something that any Asian-American Republican Democrat or independent can relate to as something that impacts their families India is a vital economic and diplomatic partner the world's largest democracy but Jersey South Asian voting block is by no means monolithic and conservative pretty pandia Patel a former Nikki Haley supporter who's also of South Asian descent thinks Harris can't handle International Affairs I just don't think that that she's qualified um because she doesn't have the like the global background she you know um I just don't feel like that she's qualified um candidate to be president of this United States especially with everything going on in the world she prefers the Republican slate noting JD Vance's wife's also indian-american Donald Trump visited India in 2020 and hosted its controversial prime minister he's already attacking Harris and mispronouncing her name lion Camala Harris has been the ultra liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe I love her and her name is not Kamala or Kamala it's kamla kamla Harris and she is fabulous fantastic uh prosecutor who's going to fight a felon her supporters posted this Kamala means lotus in Sanskrit and in America pus for president of the United States imbued with deep relevance for Jersey asian-americans I'm Brenda Flanigan NJ Spotlight news news