Donald Harris: Father of Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States

Background and Early Life

Donald Harris, the father of Vice President Kamala Harris, was born in British Jamaica in 1938. He is a retired Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University.

Education and Career

Harris received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of the West Indies and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. After completing his education, he began his academic career at Stanford University in 1972. As a professor, he specialized in econometrics, labor economics, and development economics.

Personal Life

Harris met Shyamala Gopalan, Kamala Harris' mother, while they were both studying at the University of California, Berkeley. They married in 1963 and had two daughters, Kamala and Maya.

Harris and Gopalan divorced in 1972, and Harris later remarried. He has three other children from his second marriage.

Kamala Harris' Heritage

Kamala Harris has spoken openly about her Jamaican heritage and the influence of her father on her life. She has credited him with instilling in her a strong work ethic and a commitment to social justice.