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Raj Goyle cites immigrant parents' Kansas struggle in comptroller bid
Goyle narrated how his mother, an obstetrician, was targeted for her identity by a newborn’s father.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Fri, 01, May 2026
- 01:02 EDT
- 19
Raj Goyle / Ishani Duttagupta
Indian American Democratic candidate for New York state comptroller, Raj Goyle, described the life of his Indian immigrant parents as a “total American story.”
In a public address, the Democrat paralleled his family’s struggles with the struggles of many immigrants who have to “put their head down” and overcome the struggle, characterizing it as the “sort of our story growing up.”
Sharing a glimpse into his parents’ life, Goyle shared anecdotes of his parents’ struggle.
His parents, both doctors in a working-class Kansas city, Wichita, owned a “mom-and-pop medical clinic.” Goyle noted that 90% of their patient base were Vietnamese factory workers.
Goyle went on to narrate a particularly troubling incident from his mother’s early career when she, an obstetrician, got targeted for her identity.
My dad was 13 when the British left India. He grew up as a colonized subject of the British empire.
— Raj Goyle (@RajGoyle) April 30, 2026
My mom was the only foreign born obstetrician in Wichita back in the 70s.
Like all immigrant families just trying to get by, I am so proud of what my family has overcome. pic.twitter.com/411H3Z7lPw
She was the “only foreign-born, only woman in this totally conservative town in the 70s.” After she delivered a baby, the baby’s father got to know that the doctor was a foreign-born woman and created a ruckus, he “scratched her (Goyle’s mother’s) name off the birth certificate, yelled at everybody, started screaming in the hallways.”
Goyle noted, “It scarred her for years, but she just had to overcome it and do it.”
ALSO READ: Khanna endorses Raj Goyle, cites need for new vision
At a time when the king of the United Kingdom is on a four-day visit to the United States, Goyle also shared an anecdote about his colonial roots. He noted that his father was 13 when the British left India, noting that his father “grew up as a colonized subject of the British Empire.”
He highlighted the continued disdain his father has for India’s colonizers and how his father refused to visit the tourist sites in London as a reaction to the country’s colonial past.
HHRA endorsement
In a significant boost to his campaign, Goyle received an endorsement from Hindus for Human Rights Action.
The community organization noted on X, “We are proud to announce our endorsement of Raj Goyle to be the next comptroller for the state of New York! Raj Goyle will do everything in his power to fight for the people of New York.”
We are proud to announce our endorsement of @RajGoyle to be the next Comptroller for the State of New York! Raj Goyle will do everything in his power to fight for the people of New York. pic.twitter.com/plx8rp1UiC
— Hindus for Human Rights Action (@HfHRAction) April 30, 2026
A “movement for all Hindus seeking to protect democracy, human rights and pluralism, and dismantle caste and Hindu nationalism,” Hindus for Human Rights Action believe that Raj will “will fight corruption, take on special interests, and ensure transparency in the state’s finances.”
The organization also noted that Goyle will “represent the values of HfHR Action and work for all New Yorkers,” at a time when “corporate, right-wing forces seek to divide and manipulate.”
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