image Share on Facebook A photo showing 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris' Jamaican birth certificate.
Verdict: False
The Facebook image is not real. A copy of Harris' actual birth certificate shows she was born in Oakland, California. Additionally, a spokesperson for the Jamaican Registry of Deeds denied that the Facebook image is real, in an email to Lead Stories.
Fact check:
According to a new Wall Street Journal poll, Harris is leading former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican candidate, by one point. The HillThe poll, conducted following the recent Democratic National Convention, said Harris had 48% support compared to Trump's 47%, according to the outlet.
The Facebook image purports to show Harris' Jamaican birth certificate. The document, dated October 24, 1964, is described as authentic as “a copy of a document registered with the Registry of Deeds, Jamaica.”
“Kamala Harris' birth certificate has appeared on the American social network X. The document was found in the archives of a Jamaican hospital in the same area where her father lived. The certificate calls into question her legitimacy as a presidential candidate. Under US law, only 'natural born' citizens can become president. To be considered as such, an American must be born in a US territory or have parents with US citizenship,” the image caption reads in part.
This claim is false. A keyword search by Check Your Fact found that Harris’ actual Birth certificateAccording to the 2014 American Journal of Child Development, she was born on October 20, 1964 at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Oakland, California. Harris' father, Donald Harris, is listed as Jamaican, and her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, is listed as Caucasian. Additionally, Harris's place of birth is listed as Jamaica, and Gopalan's as India, but the document indicates the couple's residence as Berkeley.
Similarly, in August 2020 Politico The article, titled “55 Things to Know About Kamala Harris,” states that the Democratic vice president is originally from Oakland, California. The Washington Post Harris reiterated that she grew up in California and that her parents immigrated to the United States.
Further, Harris do Not displayed Have publicly Commented A photo on Facebook also shows what appears to be her Jamaican birth certificate. Trusted news coverage To back up the claim, the opposite is true. August 28th, Top Stories It reported that the allegations were false. (Related: No, these government entities didn't donate to Kamala Harris)
In an email to the media, a spokesperson for the Jamaica Registry denied the authenticity of the Facebook image.
“We wish to clarify that Vice President Kamala Harris was not born in Jamaica and therefore does not have a birth record in our department's records archives. We hope this information will clarify any questions regarding her place of birth,” the spokesperson said.
Check Your Fact has also contacted the Jamaica Registrar General's Office for comment.
