Ms Harris, 56, who was born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant parents: an Indian-born mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris and Jamaican-born father Donald Harris is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency. She becomes the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in the US government.

The vice president who says she's always been comfortable with her identity and describes herself as simply "an American," was sworn in Wednesday by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.

Ms Harris attend Howard University, one of the nation's preeminent historically black colleges and universities, describing her time there as among the most formative experiences of her life.

After four years at Howard, Ms Harris went on to earn her law degree at the University of California, Hastings, and began her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

She became the district attorney - the top prosecutor - for San Francisco in 2003, before being elected the first female and the first African American to serve as California's attorney general, the top lawyer and law enforcement official in America's most populous state.

She initially ran for the Democratic nomination but dropped out of the race in December 2019, and when Biden won the nomination to represent the Democratic ticket, he chose Ms Harris as his running mate, describing her as "a fearless fighter for the little guy".

Prior to taking the oath at the US Capitol, Ms Harris paid tribute to the women who she says came before her.

"I stand on their shoulders," she said in a video.

I’m here today because of the women who came before me. pic.twitter.com/ctB9qGJqqp

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 20, 2021

In commenting on the vice president's achievement, Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks who represented her country at the inarguration, said "all Jamaicans, both at home and in the diaspora, are so immensely proud of vice president Kamala Harris. I wish to reiterate our heartfelt congratulations to her on her asention to the post of Vice President of the United States. Ms Harris is more than equal to the task ahead, and we wish her all the very best during her tenure."