*New York City’s Democratic socialist mayoral frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, is at the center of controversy after a report revealed he identified as both Asian and African American on his 2009 Columbia University application, which was rejected.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim immigrant born in Uganda, explained his decision to The New York Times, stating, “Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background.”
Mamdani, who noted that he specified “Ugandan” in a detailed section of the form, clarified that he does not identify as either a race but as “an American who was born in Africa.” He insisted the choice was not an attempt to manipulate the admissions process but a reflection of his complex identity, adding, “Even though these boxes are constraining, I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.”
According to The New York Post, the revelation surfaced following a recent cyberattack, in which a self-described “hacktivist” stole 2.5 million Columbia applications to probe the university’s past use of affirmative action. Columbia, which previously considered race in admissions before the Supreme Court banned the practice, confirmed that its current policies comply with the ruling.
Mamdani, whose father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a Columbia professor, and mother, Mira Nair, is an acclaimed filmmaker, now faces accusations of exploiting affirmative action. Critics, including Gerard Kassar, state Conservative Party chairman, labeled Mamdani’s actions fraudulent, arguing, “His focus was to get admitted to Columbia on affirmative action. It just didn’t work out. He was trying to get into a school by lying about his racial background.”
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“Zohran Mamdani at the Resist Fascism Rally” by Anthony Albright, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Kassar further stated, “Being from Uganda doesn’t make you black. You can’t assume it makes you black.”
Community members echoed the criticism. Matthew Schweber, a Columbia Jewish Alumni Association member, condemned Mamdani, saying, “It’s disgraceful to exploit this country’s legacy of slavery that oppressed African slaves.” Schweber also called out the “fraudulence of his candidacy,” citing his privileged upbringing.
Although Mamdani has clinched the Democratic nomination, his campaign, now centered on his Muslim and South Asian identity, is facing accusations of misrepresentation as the mayoral race heats up. He is set to challenge incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection as an Independent.
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