A Malayali girl who moved to the United States from Kerala at the age of six has made history in American politics. Nithya Raman, 45, has defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass to become the first Indian American to lead Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States.
Raman’s victory marks a significant moment for the Indian American community and particularly for Malayalis, given her family’s roots in Kerala. Her journey from a young immigrant to the mayor of one of America’s most influential cities is another milestone in the growing representation of Indian Americans in US politics.
Born on July 28, 1981, Raman comes from a Malayali family with connections to Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. Her father, R. Venkataraman, worked with Keltron before moving to Mumbai and eventually relocating to the United States. Her mother, Sudha, worked with Indian Overseas Bank. While her father is from Thiruvananthapuram, her mother’s family belongs to Thrissur.
Her grandfather, K. Ramaiyer, served as a postmaster, and the family once lived in the Kottakkakom area of Thiruvananthapuram. Raman was around six years old when her family moved to the United States. Before leaving Kerala, she attended pre-primary classes at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Her uncle has recalled her childhood interest in dance and described her as a talented dancer.
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Despite spending most of her life in the United States, Raman has maintained her connection with Kerala. According to SouthFirst, she last visited Thrissur in 2019 for a family function and was expected to visit again in November 2026. Her brother is also settled in the United States.
Raman’s academic journey took her to two of the country’s leading institutions. She graduated in Social Studies from Harvard University and later earned a master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Her interest in urban development also brought her to India. In 2010, she co-founded Transparent Chennai, an initiative focused on urban poverty and the challenges faced by marginalised communities in accessing basic facilities and public services.
After returning to the United States, Raman settled in the Silver Lake neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Her involvement in community work began with efforts to support people experiencing homelessness. She joined the neighbourhood council’s homelessness committee and helped establish the SELAH Neighbourhood Homeless Coalition in 2017.
The volunteer-led organisation worked to provide food, clothing and healthcare assistance to people living on the streets. It also helped connect them with shelters and housing services.
However, Raman gradually realized that community-led initiatives alone could not address the scale of Los Angeles’ homelessness and housing problems. This pushed her towards electoral politics.
In 2020, she entered the Los Angeles City Council race and challenged incumbent councillor David Ryu. Although she was relatively unknown outside local political circles, Raman defeated Ryu, becoming the first challenger in 17 years to unseat a sitting member of the Los Angeles City Council.
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During her time on the council, she focused on affordable housing, tenants’ rights, homelessness and urban development. She also pushed for stronger protections for renters and greater accountability in the city’s spending on homelessness programmes.
Raman is associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a progressive political organisation. Her politics and focus on housing affordability, public services and economic inequality have placed her among a new generation of progressive Democratic politicians in the United States.
Her political approach has also drawn comparisons with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another prominent figure associated with democratic socialism. Both have built their political identities around urban challenges, the cost of living and the need to make major American cities more affordable.
Raman’s victory over Karen Bass brings her political journey to a new level. Housing affordability, homelessness, public safety and the quality of city services were among the major issues in the mayoral contest.
With this win, Raman becomes the first Indian American to serve as mayor of Los Angeles. Her victory is also a milestone for the Malayali community and adds to the growing list of Indian Americans holding prominent elected positions across the United States.
Raman lives in the Silver Lake neighbourhood with her husband and their twins, Karna and Kaveri.