Shared identity endorsement narratives: a framework for studying celebrity endorsements of minority political candidates in the US

Abstract

Abstract This article introduces the concept of shared identity endorsement narratives (SIENs), or celebrity endorsements of political candidates that intentionally highlight shared social identities between the endorser and the endorsed. Scholars of celebrity endorsements in political contexts have primarily focused on the efficacy rather than the rhetorical content of these endorsements and what latent social structures make them effective. Through close readings of two SIENs of Vice President Kamala Harris by American celebrities of Indian descent, I draw upon social identity theory to elucidate the ways in which these endorsements create valuable networks of support for Indian Americans, but simultaneously create homogenizing articulations of Indian American identity that exploit caste, ethnolinguistic, and racial differences. Analyzing how Indian Americans and other minority groups present themselves/connect with their community provides insights into what it takes to succeed in America’s diversifying political and media landscape.