Click the video below for the full interview with Raj Goyle:
Alka: Aap sun rahe hain EBC Radio WWTR 1170 AM Bridgewater, Aapki Choice. EBC Radio, Aapki Choice, 1170 AM. Good afternoon, friends — you are listening to EBC Radio 1170 AM, Aapki Choice, and I’m your host, Alka. You can listen to EBC Radio through our online EBCmusic.com, or you can download our app, which is on Android and iOS — EBC Radio (free download). You can also talk to Alexa and ask her to play EBC Radio 1170 AM, and Alexa will certainly play.
Today I have a very, very special guest in the studio. He is working very, very hard, and we’ll be hearing him a lot in a few seconds. So let me tell you who he is. He’s Raj Goyle.
Alka: Raj Goyle is the founder of Phone Free New York and the board chair of the Five Borough Institute, a leading think tank in New York City dedicated to solving public policy issues facing the New York City metro area. Goyle has an extensive career in politics and advocacy, including four years of service as a state representative in the Kansas Legislature, where he was one of the first Indian Americans elected to office in the country.
Raj is also one of the co-founders of Indian American Impact, the leading Indian American advocacy and political organization in the United States. He has worked as a civil-rights lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union and was CEO and co-founder of Bodhala, a legal artificial intelligence company. His commentary and writings have appeared widely, including in The New York Times, Fox News, and NPR. He and his wife, Monica Arora, live in New York City with their two beautiful teenage daughters.
A very warm welcome, Raj, on EBC Radio. How are you doing?
Raj: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for that very kind introduction, particularly about my daughters.
Alka: Yes, they are precious. I have two daughters, too, so they are the most precious.
Raj: How old are they?
Alka: Well, let’s not get there. You’re going to reveal my age with that, you know, so we don’t.
Raj: That is true, that is true. My daughters are 13 and 15.
Alka: Fantastic! Such a beautiful age, joyful and a little scary, but a fun time with them.
Raj: Well, my 13-year-old was up at midnight, and we told her she could do that because the new Taylor Swift album, of course, dropped. So I am positive there are many blurry-eyed teenage girls throughout America today.
Alka: Yes, definitely. So, first of all, I want to congratulate you on all your achievements. What I just read — a little bit of your bio — it’s amazing, the work you have done and you are doing and the mission you have coming forward. I would say we all, as Indians, have to be very, very proud.
Raj: Oh, well, thank you very much. That’s kind of you to say, but I, of course, tip my hat to many, many people in the community. There are so many things we should be proud of as a community, and I applaud you and your family for building this business. Doing anything from scratch is very, very hard. And I’m very excited to be running for the New York State Comptroller. It’s a very, very powerful office — one of the most powerful state executive jobs in America. And right now people are hurting. It’s a very tough time with how expensive life is, with all the political tumult and controversies we have. And right now, the person who has had this position for 20 years, as an Albany insider, is wasting and squandering that power. So one of the most important things we can say as Americans and as South Asian Americans is that we need to use political power to help people live better lives.
Alka: Definitely. As you said, it’s the most difficult time right now. Everybody — whoever we talk to — is just saying, “I don’t know what’s going to happen; I don’t know what’s going to happen.” So the time is truly very, very tough right now. So, Raj, tell me now: I know you are standing for New York State Comptroller. Can you tell us a little bit about what a comptroller is and why you are running?
Raj: Yeah. Yeah. So comptroller is actually Punjabi for “Raj Goyle.” No, I’m just kidding. No — comptroller is the most powerful office you’ve never heard of. And one of the things I explain to people is that the political establishment almost likes to have you not know about these things. It’s such a powerful job. So, in New York State, it controls almost a $300 billion pension fund. And that pension fund is there to secure the retirement of over a million people — almost a million retirees and active people working for the state system in New York. So it’s got enormous political power. It’s also the state auditor. So there are hundreds of auditors, and that office has a constitutional mandate to review all the dollars that are spent in New York State to make sure that there isn’t waste, fraud, and abuse — that it’s being used in the way it’s intended to help people live better lives.
And, as you just mentioned, Alka, anecdotally people are struggling at this time in their lives. That office could be used to build affordable housing all over the state. Instead, the incumbent is building housing in Florida and Chicago and making very expensive investments outside New York.
Right now, you know, our community is being targeted. Trump promised to combat illegal immigration, and he’s out there arresting legal immigrants. We have so many immigrants in our community. Somebody last night, a cousin of mine called me and was worried if his green card would be revoked.
Alka: Right. I’ve been noticing people have been sending little text messages here and there — “carry your ID all the time with you.” You never know when you could be stopped. And, you know, you need to show the ID. There’s no such thing like, “Okay, I don’t have it with me; it’s at home,” so they will just take you.
Raj: That’s right. The stories will break your heart. There was an ICE agent who threw a woman to the floor and caused her to go to the hospital. They’ve taken families in the middle of the night. And now the Supreme Court has said that ICE can apprehend somebody based on how they look.
So now, as a South Asian community, how is that going to affect us? I’ll tell you a little story. I was at a concert, a Beyoncé concert in New Jersey at MetLife. And, you know, this is a little anecdote, not a huge deal, but there was a rain delay. So the concert ends late. It’s 2 a.m. Everyone’s trying to get back to the city or get out of the stadium. Thirty people asked me how much it was to get a ride to the city. Why did they ask me? Because they assumed I was an Uber driver.
Alka: Oh my.
Raj: Right? Because a very large share of drivers in New York are South Asian, and the vast, vast majority are men. And so, you know, these people — maybe they had been drinking, maybe they hadn’t — but that’s how appearances can deceive. And now ICE can go around and arrest anybody. So we have a real challenge right now. The New York State Comptroller is an amazingly powerful job to help people live better lives. And I’m very, very excited to run for this. And we’re confident we’re going to be victorious next June in the primary.
Alka: Yes, and I wish you all the best for that, because what is going on right now is not a good picture. So we all — even citizens — I mean, you never know: citizen or green card or H-1 or whatever status you have. You don’t know what is in their mind and what documents you’re carrying and who can just take you away, you know?
Raj: Yeah. I mean, this is not America, where people should be… If somebody is committing a crime, doing something harmful to others, we should absolutely — we’re the first people to stand up and say that should be taken care of. That’s the role of law enforcement and Border Patrol. But this is not where people who are here legally and lawfully and contributing to society — no matter what their status — should be apprehended and made to be fearful by the government.
And Donald Trump knows what he’s doing. There’s an emerging sort of battle in MAGA and in “Trump-land,” where Steve Bannon and others are very deliberately coming after Indians — very deliberately coming after us. One of the things that’s very disgusting is that if you go on Twitter and on social media, they use an analogy, Alka, where they say that South Asians “smell.”
Alka: But, Raj — sorry to cut you — if you see, it’s coming after Indians. If you look at the multi-billion-dollar companies, every large company you see, there is an Indian CEO or CFO, or somebody of Indian descent sitting there and running the brains, the hard work. Indians have it.
Raj: There is no question that the South Asian and the Indian American success story has been just that. And also what we find is that, yes, at the highest levels of the Fortune 100, the success has been amazing — but look at all our taxi drivers, the backbone of the middle class, the bodega owners, everybody. Look at your business — you have a thriving media property that you started from scratch. I started a company from scratch. My parents didn’t know anyone; they had ten bucks but they had medical degrees, and they settled in Wichita, Kansas, and nobody would refer them to patients.
And the funny thing is, my mother practiced medicine with a bunch of Filipino American doctors because the power structure, when they got to Wichita, wouldn’t refer them to patients. This is such an American story. By the end of my mother’s medical career, she was serving almost 95 percent Vietnamese American patients. And so, as you and I know, there’s an entire community and a whole world of America that isn’t really reflected on television and isn’t reflected in our popular culture — but it’s a really, really important part of the American story. And that’s why I’m very excited to be running for this office.
Alka: Yes. Now, let me ask you, if you’re elected, and you would be the first Indian American ever elected statewide in the state of New York; why is it more important now than ever for you to run for office as an Indian American?
Raj: I would be, of course, extremely proud of that fact. And I was one of the first Indian Americans — Asian Americans — ever elected in America, now 20 years ago. But I will say this, Alka: I’m running to be very aggressive. I have a very aggressive agenda to help all New Yorkers live better lives. I’m 50 years old. I’ve started a business. I’ve sold a business. I’ve been in the government. I’ve had an interesting and varied career, and I’ve been proud to be a leader for most of my career. What I’ve learned is that we really are better off as a nation and as a community when we’re all viewed in this together.
And so, of course, I do think that the diversity of New York should be reflected in our government. You know, there’s a saying — I don’t know if you’re familiar — but in Albany it used to be called “three men in a room” who decided the budget. It used to be the head of the Senate, the head of the Assembly, and the governor — and those were always three white guys. Well, now it’s actually two women, and of the three, two are women and two are Black. And so that’s a lot of change. And I do believe that, no matter what Donald Trump says, diversity is a strength. You get different perspectives and opinions.
So I’d be happy if that happened. But again, I’m focused like a laser on making sure that we help every single New Yorker have more money in their pension, access to better housing, access to universal child care, and protection from junk fees and scams. That’s my agenda.
Alka: That is fantastic. And I know, when anybody comes from outside the USA, they feel like New York City is the place — when they think they’re going to the USA, New York City is in their mind.
Raj: One hundred percent.
Alka: So that city should always be on top and people should feel comfortable walking on the streets and being there. It should not be like the way it is right now.
Raj: No question. I think there’s a lot of excitement about the change that’s happening in city government in New York. And there’s a very good chance that there will be a South Asian — a South Asian American — new mayor of New York City. So things are changing. And I agree with you, Alka, that right now New York is not where it should be. Right now New York is controlled by Albany insiders and people who don’t do much with the political power they’ve been given. And I have to say, regardless of anyone’s background, that really pisses me off, if I could say that — to have political power and to hold something so precious on behalf of the people and not use it. You may disagree with somebody’s view or their policy, but at least they should use power to enact things they think will be better for people’s lives. And that’s why I’m running.
Alka: Very good. So now tell me — about the comptroller we’re talking — New York State has had the same comptroller for the last 20 years. What’s been going wrong, and why are you running now?
Raj: Sure. Yes. Well, the current incumbent, Tom DiNapoli, has this enormous power, and he does nothing with it. As I said, he’s investing in real estate all over America, as opposed to investing in affordable housing right here in New York. He hasn’t said anything about how ICE is targeting our community and other vulnerable New York communities — immigrants who are the backbone of New York and America. He hasn’t said anything.
You know, one example I give is that he has a huge stock position through the pension fund in Tesla. At the same time, Elon Musk was behaving recklessly in Washington — metaphorically “with a chainsaw” — going after public workers, talking about and making terrible decisions that were harming people overseas. His whole initiative is now out of the news, but it was a total reckless failure. DiNapoli said nothing to stand up for public workers.
And I’ll say one other thing, Alka: right now the red states — Texas and the southern states — use their pension funds as a weapon against New York and New Jersey. They say, “Oh, these companies are all out of control,” and they criticize our CEOs and our companies. And in New York and New Jersey, we don’t do anything to fight back. With me as New York State Comptroller — because of everything you said: New York is the cultural center of America, and because of the role of the financial markets — the New York State Comptroller should be the natural organizer and national leader of these pension funds. And I’m going to do that.
Alka: Yes, that would be very, very good. So now tell me, in the end, how can our vibrant South Asian community support you?
Raj: Well, you’re so very kind. If the community could spread the word — let them know — go to RajGoyle.com. That’s RajGoyle.com. My website is there. Of course, I’m on social media — on Instagram and Twitter and TikTok. And spread the word among the community in New York State. It’s a huge state, you know. It’s not just the five boroughs of New York City. It’s Long Island. It’s upstate. It’s Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca. You know, my mom and dad left Delhi in India in 1970 and moved to Rochester. My older brother was raised in Rochester. We then spent decades in the Midwest.
And then one thing I should say before I go — because it’s the thing I’m most proud of in my life, and I think the community would like to know this — is that ten years ago, when my wife and I and my then one-year-old baby, my older daughter, moved to New York City, my parents were alone. And so, at ages 79 and 72, my dad and my mom moved to New York City. They became Manhattanites. They took the subway and learned Spanish, and my father worked until he was 86. Then we very, very sadly lost him a few years ago. Then we moved Monica’s parents from Orange County. She’s been a New Yorker her whole life. She was raised in Orange County, a daughter of public school teachers. They live on our block, and we sadly lost my father-in-law a couple of years ago. We miss him horribly. But, you know, we lived in a joint family. Monica and I basically created a joint family in Lower Manhattan. That is the best way to live.
Alka: I love that Indian culture back home. We never felt like who is who over there — everybody was your people, right? Everyone was your sisters’ sisters, and brothers, and cousins, and aunties, and uncles.
Raj: Yeah, of course. Somebody asks you how many brothers and sisters you have — you just count everybody, and you tell them that number. Well, also, one thing: I never really knew my grandparents. In fact, I never even met them properly, and that’s because of immigration and because of finances. My parents didn’t have the money when we were growing up, and then we got so busy. So the fact that my daughters were raised with all four grandparents… One thing I say is, they didn’t even say hello to my father when he walked into the apartment. Not because they were being rude but because there was no reason to say hello. He was around all the time.
Alka: Yes. And that blessing they have — and you are blessed to have them around your children. The values they learned when they were present. That is the root.
Raj: That is, you know… It doesn’t matter what happens in business or politics. We’ll be right back. The values they learned when they were present, that is the root. That is the root. That is — you know — it doesn’t matter what happens in business or politics for me. My soul is at peace because I was able to serve my parents, continue to serve my mother and my mother-in-law, and give that to my daughters, whatever happens with them. That’s the thing I’m most pleased with that’s happened in our lives. And, you know, on the campaign, of course, we’re fighting like a dog to make sure that this office works — works for New Yorkers — to give them the better life they deserve. Times are hard, and the government and these offices should be leading in to help them.
So if you can spread the word at RajGoyle.com, obviously we’ll take anybody’s financial support as well. I should say quickly that in New York State there’s a really clever matching program. So if you give $200 to the campaign, it actually becomes $1,400. That’s a six-to-one match up to the first $250 for any New Yorker. That’s a very powerful thing. So we’d be grateful for anyone listening to go to RajGoyle.com and volunteer — sign up to volunteer or financially support the campaign.
Alka: Well, let me tell you, friends: if you want to go and support Raj Goyle, his website is RajGoyle.com — Goyle is spelled G-O-Y-L-E.
Raj: Yes, thank you. Yes, thank you for clarifying that. Yes, my father spelled it G-O-Y-L-E. There’s probably a million Rajiv Goyles in the world, but I’m the only Raj Goyle spelled this way.
Alka: And if you Google and you go to New York State, then you will find him there.
Raj: Yes, yes. Thank you all. Thank you, Alka, for coming on EBC Radio and sharing your thoughts and views and what is the future planning for you to do. And I’m really happy and, again, wishing you all the best for the success.
Alka: Thank you so much. We’ll talk to you soon.
Raj: Honored to be on.
Alka: Yes. Bye-bye. Take care.
Raj: Bye.
