'Things have certainly changed': Nenshi, South Asian Albertans react to Sohi's mayoral run

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi joined a chorus of South Asian Albertans celebrating Amarjeet Sohi's run for mayor of Edmonton as a sign of growing multiracial representation in a political arena long commanded by white candidates.

"[There is] the need for us to understand the lived experience of everyone in our community," Nenshi said. "One of the easiest ways to understand that is to have people in those communities… at the table."

Nenshi was the first Muslim mayor of Calgary when he was elected in 2010. He said it is important to continue to see multiracial representation in politics.

"There have been only seven non-white members of council in the long history of Calgary," Nenshi said in an interview on Friday. "Four of us serve now. So things have certainly changed."

Edmonton has never elected a non-white mayor, dating back to the first local elections in 1892. It would be almost another century before Jan Reimer was the first woman elected to the office in 1989.

Sohi, former Ward 12 city councillor, kicked off his campaign with a virtual speech Monday morning that highlighted his experience as an immigrant who came from India to Canada at the age of 18.

It was a message that resonated with Shridhar Patel, a recent University of Alberta graduate.

"As a fellow immigrant, it really shows other people that you can succeed and you can become involved in the governmental sphere," Patel said. "It's not only just for white individuals or people who were born here, but anyone can really become involved."

Harleen Padda, an Edmonton articling student, said Sohi's realization of the "immigrant dream" was inspiring.

But she says his ability to connect with the South Asian community is the most exciting part of his candidacy.

"I think it's awesome to have… someone that you can bring your issues up to, that's approachable and can speak your language," said Padda, who volunteered for Sohi during his federal campaign and plans to do the same for his mayoral run.

"I think that especially for people in my parents' generation, it really does give them that access to politics and justice in general that they did not have before."

'Great deal more outward racism in politics': Nenshi

Nisha Nath, assistant professor of equity studies at Athabasca University, said she wasn't surprised to see some South Asians excited for Sohi's candidacy, but cautioned against assuming all South Asians would respond similarly.

"It is just challenging and frankly problematic to speak of the South Asian community en masse," she said.

"The fact that Mr. Sohi is a South Asian person, a racialized person, isn't actually the only thing about his story. There is a lineage to Mr. Sohi that people know about… a long lineage of anti-racist work."

Sharan Sandhu, a longtime resident of Mill Woods, said Sohi's racial identity was not the reason why he was happy to see the former federal cabinet minister seek the mayor's chair.

"I don't think it will matter whether he's a Punjabi… or he's from Mill Woods or anything," Sandhu said. "I think every community will love him more [because]… he understands the issues that people feel which are important or the communities feel which are important."

While he felt the response to Sohi's announcement had been positive, Nenshi reflected on the changing political context.

"There is a great deal more outward racism in politics than there has been in the past and, you know, every candidate has to deal with that," he said. "It's very unfortunate, and I wish it wasn't true, but it is happening. That said, that piece of the electorate, the angry, racist, divisive discourse is a very small part of the electorate."

Nath agreed.

"There is a distinctive bravado, very particularly noxious mix of whiteness and misogyny in the Alberta context," she said.

"As a racialized person, to be seen or heard or feel like you are seen or heard in that context isn't incidental. So I think that's quite significant that people are expressing that.

Seeing a rise in racism concerned Patel as well, but the Edmonton student sees hope in Sohi's candidacy.

"Having people like Mr Sohi and Mr. Nenshi… it's just so important and cool to see just because it shows really what a multicultural city you've become."