In a remarkable intersection of personal history and contemporary politics, New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani is confronting his family's painful legacy during one of the most significant racial injustices of the 20th century.
The Ghost of Idi Amin's Uganda
While campaigning to become New York City's next mayor, Mamdani has opened up about how his family were among the 80,000 Asians forcibly expelled from Uganda in 1972 under dictator Idi Amin's brutal regime. The expulsion stripped his relatives of their citizenship, property, and homeland in a shocking act of state-sanctioned racism.
"My family's story is one of being made stateless," Mamdani revealed during recent campaign events. "They were given 90 days to leave or face concentration camps—this trauma has directly shaped my political consciousness."
British Colonial Legacy Comes Full Circle
The historical context reveals deeper complexities. Many Ugandan Asians, including Mamdani's ancestors, originally arrived in East Africa as indentured labourers brought by British colonial authorities to build the Uganda Railway. After independence, they became targets of nationalist resentment, culminating in Amin's expulsion order.
Britain initially resisted accepting the expelled population, with then-Prime Minister Edward Heath's government attempting to limit numbers. However, approximately 30,000 Ugandan Asians ultimately settled in the UK, while others dispersed globally, including to Canada and the United States.
From Trauma to Political Mission
Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, connects his family's experience directly to his current political platform:
- Housing justice: Drawing parallels to property confiscation during the expulsion
- Immigrant rights: Advocating for protections against statelessness
- Racial equality: Fighting systemic discrimination in all forms
"When we talk about what happened in Uganda, we're not just discussing history—we're examining how displacement and racism continue to shape lives across generations," Mamdani emphasized.
A Personal Reckoning in Public Service
The politician's decision to centre this painful family narrative in his mayoral campaign represents a significant moment in immigrant political representation. It demonstrates how historical trauma can transform into political purpose, particularly for descendants of colonial and post-colonial displacement.
As Mamdani campaigns to lead one of the world's most diverse cities, his personal story serves as both warning and inspiration—a reminder that the ghosts of historical injustice continue to walk among us, shaping political battles being fought today.
