‘Stepping into politics was an extension of my activism’: Nithya Raman
The India-born urban planner, who assumes office tomorrow, on winning the Los Angeles city council member seat and why accountability in local governance is important Updated: December 13, 2020 4:16:35 pm
Nithya Raman
Last month, Nithya Raman made the unthinkable possible. She became the first city council member to unseat an incumbent in Los Angeles. But before her historic win, Raman, 39, trained in urban planning and governance and has been a community leader both in India and the US.
Born in Thrissur, Raman left for the US with her family at the age of six. Later, she would live in Chennai (her husband’s family hails from Madurai and Tenkasi) and start the Transparent Chennai initiative. It empowers slum dwellers by using maps and data to access basic services like clean toilets and drinking water, and to find a voice in local governance.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. â Nithya Raman has many firsts to her credit. First South Asian elected to the influential 15-member Los Angeles City Council. First Asian woman in the office. First, in 17 years, to eject an incumbent councilmember â David Ryu. A little bit off field but, the first member of the Democratic Socialists of America elected to the seat. While the Indian Americanâs history making success has largely escaped the attention of the Indian media, it has been noticed by the U.S. press, and for India-West to land on her calendar took a bit of time.
Born in India, Raman grew up in the Boston, Mass., area attending public school while her father did the tech thing and her mother worked for the state. She returned to India as an adult for what turned out to be an unexpected stay of several years learning about poverty, homelessness and how basic services like toilets and running water can make a difference. It drew her to get a degree in urban planning from MIT.
The Number Of Democratic Socialists In The House Will Soon Double. But The Movement Scored Its Biggest Victories Down Ballot The resurgence of democratic socialism has occurred during a period of growing activism against widening inequality, persistent racism and looming environmental disaster. WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The congresswome. WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The congresswomen talked about their backgrounds and how they were disruptors who “challenged conventional wisdom and assumptions” about how to get elected, among other topics. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)