Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise stop at the Indian American Impact Project’s Annual Summit in Washington on Wednesday, continuing the Biden administration’s efforts to mark Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Addressing a ballroom of people at the Washington Marriott Georgetown, the vice president – the first South Asian American in the position – spoke about how her family helped shaped her. 

Harris noted her mother came to the U.S. from India when she was 19 and participated in civil rights marches in Berkeley, California. She went on to recount visiting India every two years growing up, where her grandfather would take her on his morning walks with his friends. 

“And I remember as a young girl hearing them debate the importance of democracy,” she said. “Hearing them discuss the importance of standing for what is right.” 

The vice president used the visit to thank the organization for its work in voter education and mobilization, specifically mentioning its efforts in Georgia, which flipped blue to support President Joe Biden in 2020. Shortly after, Georgia voters elected two Democrats, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, to represent them in the U.S. Senate, flipping two seats held by Republican incumbents.

“Representing the state of Georgia [is] an African American and a Jewish American, in large part because of Indian Americans and Asian Americans doing the work that was done in the state of Georgia to ensure that people saw a sense of connection between themselves and the outcome of that election,” she said.

Indian American Impact seeks to represent and engage South Asian and Indian American communities through civic partnerships and candidate support. 

“This election coming up in six months I think is presenting a question to each of us, which is what kind of world do we want to live in? And what kind of country do we want to live in?” the vice president said. “And one of the ways that we answer that question is to seek office and to participate in elections, knowing that the outcome of those elections matter in fundamental ways.” 

The vice president asked those in attendance to raise their hands if they wanted to run for office. When a handful did, she said she wanted to offer some advice.

“You’re going to find yourself in rooms, where you are the only one who looks like you, the only one who has had your life experience,” she told them. “And what I’ve been saying to you each — look around this room and hold on to this image and remember, that when you walk into those rooms when you walk into those situations, you remember you are not alone. We are all there.” 

On Monday the vice president kicked off a week of AANHPI Heritage Month-focused events by speaking to the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit. Later that day, her and the president hosted members of the AANHPI community in the White House Rose Garden to celebrate. 

Last week, the Vice President hosted more than 500 community leaders and small business owners from across the country at her residence to mark AANHPI Heritage Month.