As the daughter of immigrants, I had considered it a privilege to have been born and raised in the United States. Because of my parents’ daring move across the world, I was bestowed a form of generational wealth that wasn’t measured in dollars and cents, but in opportunity and perspective.

I was given a foundation built on Indian culture, tradition and community, while simultaneously inheriting the American freedom to choose my own path – a freedom my parents had earned for me through their self-sacrifice. This unique inheritance meant my starting line in life was years ahead of where they began, underscored by unlimited potential and global fluency.

The past few years have been trying. First was the constant, low-grade stress of the news cycle eroding the baseline assumption that things would ultimately be OK. Then there was the relentless, additive effect of the promised global solutions that never came to be, the human rights issues ignored, the steady tick of an impending economic downturn and the digital MAGA-infused echo chamber reinforcing every fear.

Slowly, the optimism that used to recharge itself overnight began to wither away, replaced by a weary cynicism. Eventually, the effort required to maintain hope felt heavier than the simple acceptance of the bleak reality of a new world order, one that my parents did not envision, or they would have never left India.

Enter Zohran Mamdani: the cheeky 34-year-old Ugandan-born, Indian American New York state assemblyman who has taken the political world by storm. On Oct. 23, 2024, seemingly out of the blue, Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City.

With policies inspired by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, Mamdani’s human-centered democratic socialist platform includes free city buses, universal child care, rent-stabilized apartments, $30 minimum wage by 2030 and tax increases on the rich.

Islamophobic attacks didn't change what New Yorkers want

Opponents, like former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have attempted to attack Mamdani’s résumé and qualifications by framing his progressive policies as fantasies. They have also targeted Mamdani’s stance on Israel, falsely accusing him of stoking the "flames of hatred against the Jewish people,” and have fueled Islamophobia by insinuating that Mamdani, who is a practicing Muslim, would “cheer” for another 9/11 as a "jihadist" candidate or painting him as a "terrorist sympathizer.”

Then there’s the blatantly racist AI-generated advertisement featuring “criminals for Zohran Mamdani” depicting a Black man in a keffiyeh shoplifting, a man abusing a woman, a sex trafficker and a drug dealer. Apparently, no bar is too low when you’re operating from the basement of civility.

Haters will ignore the obvious: New York City has been itching for a change. We’ve seen the same super PAC-backed, corruption-ridden men come to power election year after year with little to no improvement citywide:

  • Rent is at an all-time high with crushing costs of living.
  • One poll found that a majority of New Yorkers find it increasingly difficult to meet basic needs such as food, health care and education.
  • The New York Times reports that in the past 10 years, the number of violent crimes on the subway has almost doubled with violent crime on the uptick due to lack of crucial services like housing and mental health care.

Undeterred, Mamdani has taken any pushback in stride, harnessing his dimples, lived experiences and oratory gifts to mobilize the masses through in-person events and relatable, multilingual social media content featuring powerful rebuttals.

Mamdani represents hope for immigrants like my parents

Throughout the mayoral race, he’s catapulted from being known as a legendary filmmaker’s son to stardom in his own right, gracing the covers of major magazines, shaking hands with celebrities and frequenting the late-night talk show circuit.

His innovative campaign has even garnered praise from former President Barack Obama. Just before Election Day, Mamdani was seen greeting runners at the halfway point of the New York City marathon, crashing a Halloween party at a Bushwick club and attending a tai chi class with senior citizens.

On Nov. 4, former underdog Mamdani defeated President Donald Trump-endorsed Cuomo to become the mayor of New York City. This was not a huge upset; this was a reckoning.

Amid the current global disorder, New York City has struck a defiant chord. In electing Mamdani, we have collectively rejected the stale premise that the economy is healed by more capitalism; in doing so, we’ve taken the first step toward rehabilitating a system starved of empathy.

The era of a governing philosophy that champions ruthless self-interest above the collective good has finally closed.

Hope is a forward-leaning motion. It is the refusal to accept the present as the final verdict; the feeling that, despite the evidence of what is, a small, persistent part of us continues to believe in what could be. Mamdani is the embodiment of that possibility – a man of New York City, for New York City.

For the first time in years, the hope my parents crossed the world to give me no longer feels futile. We have shown a disheartened world that a major city can, and will, reclaim the promise of opportunity and human connection that once defined the American dream.

Isha Sharma is a first-generation Indian American writer based in Brooklyn, New York. A Case Western Reserve University and Georgetown University graduate, she aims to highlight and advocate for underrepresented voices in mainstream media. Follow her on Instagram: @isha__sharma

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mamdani's win is more than a political victory for Indian Americans like me | Opinion

Reporting by Isha Sharma / USA TODAY

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