NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani Faces Backlash Over Racial Identity Claims

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor in 2025, has faced significant controversy over his racial identity claims. Though Mamdani identifies as a Muslim immigrant of South Asian descent and emphasizes his Ugandan birth, he marked himself as both "Asian" and "Black or African American" on his 2009 Columbia University application, a move that critics accuse of attempting to exploit affirmative action policies. Mamdani explained that he selected multiple racial categories to capture the fullness of his background due to the limitations of application forms and stated he does not consider himself Black or African American but rather "an American who was born in Africa." This revelation has led to backlash from Black New Yorkers, who have called Mamdani a "fraud" and "trickster," accusing him of misrepresenting his identity to gain political and educational advantages. Additionally, Mamdani's father, Mahmood Mamdani, known for controversial anti-American rhetoric, has further fueled criticism of the candidate's background and ideological stance. Despite these disputes, Mamdani won the Democratic primary and symbolizes a new, radical left-wing direction in New York politics, proposing socialist policies such as free universal childcare, city-run grocery stores, and rent freezes on stabilized units.