Immigrant descendants of socialist regimes now champion socialism in U.S. politics

The Democratic Socialists of America are riding a surge of electoral success, securing primary victories in places such as Denver, New York City and Washington, D.C. Among the rising DSA figures are Los Angeles councilmember and 2026 mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman, who arrived from India at age six; Melat Kiros, an Ethiopian-born challenger who won Colorado’s 1st District Democratic nomination; and Gustavo Gordillo, a Peruvian immigrant now co-chair of the New York City DSA chapter.

Their home nations—India, Ethiopia and Peru—suffered under state-led planning, forced collectivization, or Maoist guerrilla warfare that caused economic hardship and violence. Yet Gordillo, in a July 17, 2026 interview on one outlet, blamed capitalism and U.S. imperialism for poverty in Latin America while championing public ownership, echoing the very ideology his family escaped. The piece suggests that when immigrant families cannot fully convey their traumatic pasts, younger generations may adopt socialist ideas presented as compassionate and modern, especially within college environments. It concludes that personal family narratives remain the most effective safeguard against repeating the mistakes of the past.