The Dig: Organizing Zohran’s NYC w/ Alina Shen and Fahd Ahmed

Introduction: The Rise of Zoran Mamdani and the Left’s Power-Building Project

Daniel Denver introduces the episode, framing Zoran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign as a landmark victory for NYC DSA and a broader left movement. He highlights the role of DRUM and CAV as key early endorsers, setting the stage for a deep dive into their organizing models and strategic decisions.

The Theory of Power: Organizing the Lowest Layers of the Working Class

Fahad Ahmed and Alina Shen explain their organizations’ focus on the most marginalized: low-income South Asian and Asian immigrant workers, tenants, and youth. They describe their multi-issue, neighborhood-based organizing as a deliberate strategy to build transformative power from the ground up.

Why Ethnic and Neighborhood Focus? Countering the Right Wing and Building Depth

The guests defend organizing by ethnic and neighborhood identity not as exclusionary, but as a way to reach communities often ignored by mainstream left groups. They highlight how this depth allows them to counter right-wing narratives and build leadership from within.

The Contradictions of the Nonprofit Form and the Need for Mass Orgs

They discuss the limitations of the nonprofit model—its potential for co-optation—but argue it’s essential for legitimacy, office space, and recruitment. They stress that mass organizations are the only form capable of truly reflecting the class character of a movement.

Building the Ecosystem: How DRUM, CAV, and DSA Fit Together

The guests map the New York City left ecosystem, emphasizing multiplicity over unity. They describe how DSA brings breadth, while CAV and DRUM bring depth—creating a powerful, complementary alliance that can’t be dismissed as a 'white middle-class' project.