The Rise of the Coconut Meme: Kamala Harris’s Presidential Nomination and Internet Controversy

Vice President Kamala Harris has recently secured support from the Democratic Party to become their presidential nominee, gearing up to formally accept her nomination for the upcoming election. However, amidst her campaign, a viral meme involving her has taken the internet by storm.

The meme originates from a speech Harris gave in 2023 at the swearing-in ceremony of commissioners for the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. In her speech, Harris mentioned her mother’s words, saying, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”

Since then, several videos have surfaced online of Harris saying the phrase, leading to a wave of coconut and coconut tree emojis flooding social media platforms. Some individuals have even shared pictures of themselves climbing coconut trees in response to the meme.

While supporters of Harris are embracing the viral trend, it has sparked controversy as well. Cybersecurity lawyer Isvari Maranwe pointed out that the term “coconut”, now synonymous with Harris, has been used in a discriminatory manner against Indian Americans.

Despite the meme’s popularity, Harris has not yet commented on the viral trend stemming from her speech. Her nomination comes on the heels of US President Joe Biden ending his re-election campaign and endorsing Harris as the Democratic candidate for the presidential elections.

As the buzz around the coconut meme continues to grow, it remains to be seen how Harris will address the situation and navigate the online conversation surrounding her campaign.