IN the New York Democratic primaries held recently there were two candidates who had never run for office before. Both are the progeny of migrant parents and were running against long-time congressional leaders.

The two young politicos, Suraj Patel and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both ran an excellent campaign, promising to fight for the average US citizen, promising a new vision with ambitious goals. They are young energetic candidates that can get the job done.

Suraj, a 34-year-old Indian American from Manhattan, lost the fight but gave a real tough challenge to veteran campaigner Carolyn Maloney. On the other hand, Alexandria, a 28-year-old Latina from the Bronx, defeated one of the more powerful Democratic leaders in the house on her first attempt. These races along with the others that are and will be contested across America are paving the way for a new direction in American politics.

Americans want change. They demand new ideas and a different approach and are embracing first-generation Americans belonging to migrant families. On the heels of the Muslim ban and family separation at the border, we have more and more first generation Americans and immigrants gaining leadership positions.

This will definitely lead to more South Asians and Latinos running for office in the future.

These candidates have not only done well for themselves but have brought a new hope to many young aspiring leaders to rise up and challenge the status quo in the United States.

Zeshan Hamid

New York, USA

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2018