CNN’s Lemon Says Kamala Harris Isn’t African-American: ‘Jamaica Is Not America!’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT I want ░░░░░░░░ play to you what ░░░░░░░░ Harris said at the ░░░░░░░░ club how people are ░░░░░░░░ whether she s African ░░░░░░░░ Another says Kamala Harris ░░░░░░░░ not black enough and ░░░░░░░░ was raised in Canada ░░░░░░░░ parents are immigrants I ░░░░░░░░ born in Oakland and ░░░░░░░░ was raised in the ░░░░░░░░ States except for the ░░░░░░░░ I was in Montreal ░░░░░░░░ school High school This ░░░░░░░░ the same thing they ░░░░░░░░ Barack Obama and this ░░░░░░░░ not new to us ░░░░░░░░ re trying to do ░░░░░░░░ s happening the last ░░░░░░░░ years which is powerful ░░░░░░░░ trying to sell hate ░░░░░░░░ divisions among us We ░░░░░░░░ to recognize when we ░░░░░░░░ being plagued Played LEMON ░░░░░░░░ do you make of ░░░░░░░░ answer April Ryan Good ░░░░░░░░ her You know there ░░░░░░░░ a lot to unpack ░░░░░░░░ Number one what does ░░░░░░░░ enough mean Can someone ░░░░░░░░ me a definition of ░░░░░░░░ black enough is I ░░░░░░░░ t want to go ░░░░░░░░ the road of the ░░░░░░░░ when people say we ░░░░░░░░ black Number one she ░░░░░░░░ a black woman she ░░░░░░░░ a mixed race woman ░░░░░░░░ you see her you ░░░░░░░░ her blackness But she ░░░░░░░░ also south Asian Her ░░░░░░░░ is south Asian and ░░░░░░░░ dad is Jamaican LEMON ░░░░░░░░ April let me listen ░░░░░░░░ power to her and ░░░░░░░░ think it is great ░░░░░░░░ should be enough Listen ░░░░░░░░ is enough that she ░░░░░░░░ a black woman Ryan ░░░░░░░░ did the same thing ░░░░░░░░ No no no no ░░░░░░░░ think you re not ░░░░░░░░ what people are saying ░░░░░░░░ who are saying is ░░░░░░░░ black enough that s ░░░░░░░░ That s B S ░░░░░░░░ to want the distinction ░░░░░░░░ say is she African ░░░░░░░░ or is she black ░░░░░░░░ There s nothing wrong ░░░░░░░░ that There s a ░░░░░░░░ between being African American ░░░░░░░░ being black Latino people ░░░░░░░░ people of color but ░░░░░░░░ re not black They ░░░░░░░░ brown people okay Ryan ░░░░░░░░ is a woman of ░░░░░░░░ but she is a ░░░░░░░░ woman Her father is ░░░░░░░░ black man from Jamaica ░░░░░░░░ Okay that s fine ░░░░░░░░ agree with that crosstalk ░░░░░░░░ no no But is ░░░░░░░░ African American there s ░░░░░░░░ difference No one is ░░░░░░░░ to take anything away ░░░░░░░░ her I think you ░░░░░░░░ falling into a trap ░░░░░░░░ that All she had ░░░░░░░░ do was say I ░░░░░░░░ black but I m ░░░░░░░░ African American That s ░░░░░░░░ Ryan I m not ░░░░░░░░ into a trap Let ░░░░░░░░ finish hold on When ░░░░░░░░ goes down her lineage ░░░░░░░░ Africans landed in Jamaica ░░░░░░░░ all these other Caribbean ░░░░░░░░ LEMON Jamaica is not ░░░░░░░░ Ryan But she is ░░░░░░░░ black woman She was ░░░░░░░░ here LEMON Jamaica did ░░░░░░░░ come out of Jim ░░░░░░░░ I m just saying ░░░░░░░░ Ted Cruz was born ░░░░░░░░ Canada his father was ░░░░░░░░ LEMON You re changing ░░░░░░░░ subject This has nothing ░░░░░░░░ do with Ted Cruz ░░░░░░░░ think there s two ░░░░░░░░ of this question One ░░░░░░░░ sort of based in ░░░░░░░░ stereotypes Does this person ░░░░░░░░ like a black person ░░░░░░░░ supposed to act like ░░░░░░░░ s not what I ░░░░░░░░ saying I know But ░░░░░░░░ s another version of ░░░░░░░░ question does Kamala Harris ░░░░░░░░ about black people and ░░░░░░░░ black people give her ░░░░░░░░ votes is she going ░░░░░░░░ still care and make ░░░░░░░░ to use her authority ░░░░░░░░ make sure that black ░░░░░░░░ get a fair shake ░░░░░░░░ a country that has ░░░░░░░░ not given them one ░░░░░░░░ are cultural distinctions between ░░░░░░░░ Indian and African but ░░░░░░░░ fact is that in ░░░░░░░░ those distinctions start to ░░░░░░░░ less because of white ░░░░░░░░ Latinos come from many ░░░░░░░░ countries but the experience ░░░░░░░░ being Latino in the ░░░░░░░░ States is a kind ░░░░░░░░ consolidator Kamala Harris She ░░░░░░░░ worked to associate herself ░░░░░░░░ African American culture In ░░░░░░░░ going to Howard Going ░░░░░░░░ Howard and in other ░░░░░░░░ I think yes it ░░░░░░░░ not unfair to make ░░░░░░░░ distinction between Jamaican and ░░░░░░░░ American but I think ░░░░░░░░ question is she black ░░░░░░░░ is maybe not the ░░░░░░░░ question For getting the ░░░░░░░░ But if by saying ░░░░░░░░ is a distinction there ░░░░░░░░ a difference between being ░░░░░░░░ Rican and being Mexican ░░░░░░░░ being Costa rican All ░░░░░░░░ them are from Latin ░░░░░░░░ and that s all ░░░░░░░░ well and good So ░░░░░░░░ is wrong about asking ░░░░░░░░ are they African American ░░░░░░░░ whatever it is She ░░░░░░░░ a black woman in ░░░░░░░░ No one is saying ░░░░░░░░ s not black We ░░░░░░░░ asking if she s ░░░░░░░░ American There s nothing ░░░░░░░░ with asking that question ░░░░░░░░ s not what that ░░░░░░░░ You re getting the ░░░░░░░░ black enough thing That ░░░░░░░░ the kind of stuff ░░░░░░░░ people that s where ░░░░░░░░ are going You re ░░░░░░░░ the point That s ░░░░░░░░ whole different conversation People ░░░░░░░░ asking you if you ░░░░░░░░ of an African American ░░░░░░░░ who came out of ░░░░░░░░ Crow out of American ░░░░░░░░ Are you descended there ░░░░░░░░ nothing wrong with saying ░░░░░░░░ I am or no ░░░░░░░░ m not But I ░░░░░░░░ still a black person ░░░░░░░░ feels the effects of ░░░░░░░░ Crow being a black ░░░░░░░░ in America I don ░░░░░░░░ disagree with that But ░░░░░░░░ if people ask if ░░░░░░░░ re African American or ░░░░░░░░ there s nothing wrong ░░░░░░░░ distinguishing what your relationship ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ you re from Costa ░░░░░░░░ or Cuba there s ░░░░░░░░ wrong with out of ░░░░░░░░ American tradition of being ░░░░░░░░ or African American Nothing ░░░░░░░░ wrong with that All ░░░░░░░░ had to say was ░░░░░░░░ m a black woman ░░░░░░░░ ancestors are not African ░░░░░░░░ and just move on ░░░░░░░░ should not be controversial ░░░░░░░░ all What do you ░░░░░░░░ to say, Scott?