Chinese woman, 72, who swam eight hours to escape communism says she's disgusted her children are voting for Mamdani

Song Ying, a 72-year-old Chinese immigrant, is deeply dismayed that her sons are supporting Zohran Mamdani for mayor, believing his far-left policies echo the communism she fled decades ago. Song endured an eight-hour swim from mainland China to Hong Kong in 1976 to escape political oppression and hunger under Chairman Mao. She and her husband later immigrated to the U.S., working to build a successful life and ensuring their sons received elite educations, including at Cornell and MIT. Despite her sons' Ivy League backgrounds, Song feels they are naive about Mamdani's platform, which she likens to the socialist principles she escaped. She argues that such ideologies breed laziness and stifle motivation. Song, a past Trump voter, is part of a growing trend of Chinese New Yorkers shifting politically to the right, with a significant rightward shift observed in predominantly Asian neighborhoods. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, leads in mayor... download the app to read more