Asian or African American: NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani identifies as 'an American who was born in Africa'; college application stirs controversy
Democratic socialist New York City mayoral frontrunner
Zohran Mamdani
identified himself as both 'Asian' and 'Black or African American' on his 2009 application to Columbia University, the
New York Times
reported on Thursday.
The 33‑year‑old, then a 17‑year‑old high‑school senior, ticked the two racial categories and wrote 'Ugandan' in a free‑response section, but was ultimately not admitted to the Ivy League college. Born in Kampala to Indian film‑maker
Mira Nair
and Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani, he spent parts of his childhood in Uganda, South Africa and the United States before becoming a naturalised US citizen in 2018.
Now campaigning to become New York's first Muslim and South Asian mayor, Mamdani told that he does not see himself as Black or African American, but rather 'an American who was born in Africa'.
'Most college applications don't have a box for Indian‑Ugandans,' he said. 'So I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background.'
Columbia's form at the time allowed standard racial checkboxes and an additional field for detail, which Mamdani used to specify 'Ugandan'. He said he completed all his college applications in the same way and recalled no other instance in which he described himself as Black or African American.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em São Paulo (consulte o preço)
Alarmes
Undo
His parents are of Indian descent. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a renowned scholar with Indian roots born in British India before the family settled in Uganda. His mother, Mira Nair is an Indian-Americanthe Oscar-nominated filmmaker who left Rourkela in Odisha and brought stories of the subcontinent to global screens
While he has leaned heavily on his South Asian and Muslim heritage during the campaign, he also referenced his African roots in June at Al Sharpton's National Action Network, saying: 'I was born in Kampala, Uganda… I was given my middle name, Kwame, by my father, who named me after the first Prime Minister of Ghana.'
Mamdani's racial identity has drawn attention. At a rally on Wednesday, President Donald Trump invoked Mamdani, warning that 'if he interferes with immigration laws, we'll have to arrest him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russia pounds Kyiv with largest drone attack, hours after Trump-Putin call
KYIV: Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, killing one person, injuring at least 23 and damaging buildings across the capital hours after US President Trump spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin, officials said on Friday. Air raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine's Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles. Families huddled in underground metro stations for shelter and acrid smoke hung over the city centre. Kyiv's military administration chief said on Friday afternoon a body had been found in the wreckage of one of the strike sites. Outside a high-rise apartment block damaged by a drone, residents stood around surveying the scene as the clean-up job began. Some cried. Others looked on silently. "I woke up to the sound of explosions, first the Shahed drones started buzzing, and then the explosions began," said 40-year-old resident Maria Hilchenko. "Then people started screaming outside. The explosions from the Shaheds kept coming." Shahed drones are an Iranian design, a variant of which is now manufactured in Russia. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Let boAt bring the cinema home Boat Buy Now Undo President Zelensky called the attack "deliberately massive and cynical", noting the first sirens blared as news came in of Putin and Trump's call. Later on Friday Zelensky spoke to Trump and the pair agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky". He added they discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments. The US has paused some deliveries of missiles amid concerns about low stockpiles. US outlet Axios reported, citing unnamed sources, that the call lasted around 40 min, and that Trump told Zelensky he would check what US weapons due to be sent to Ukraine, if any, had been put on hold. Kyiv officials said the attack damaged about 40 apartment blocks, passenger railway infrastructure, five schools and kindergartens, cafes and many cars in six of Kyiv's 10 districts. Poland said the consular section of its embassy was damaged in central Kyiv, adding that staff were unharmed. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said a Chinese component had been found in one of the Shahed drones attacking Kyiv. Russian airstrikes on Kyiv have intensified in recent weeks. Russia's defence ministry said drone factories, a military airfield and an oil refinery were among targets it struck in Kyiv with what it called high-precision weapons. Ukraine did not give details. Trump said that the call with Putin on Thursday resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war, and the Kremlin reiterated that Moscow would keep pushing to solve the conflict's "root causes". The decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap. (This is a Reuters story)
Economic Times
18 minutes ago
- Economic Times
‘No trade deal under pressure of deadline': Piyush Goyal
Reuters India's trade minister Piyush Goyal Days ahead of the US' July 9 deadline for reciprocal tariffs, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India does not enter into trade agreements based on deadlines but on mutual benefits and national interest. 'FTAs (free trade agreements) are possible only when both sides get benefits. It should be a win-win agreement. India never negotiates trade deals based on deadlines. Our focus is always on fairness and the country's benefit,' Goyal told media persons on the sidelines of an event, a day after Indian trade negotiators returned from an eight-day visit to the US to close a trade pact before July 9. The minister ruled out him visiting the US in the near term. The Indian negotiating team returned from Washington after hectic parleys with their US counterparts. 'India Always Ready to Do Deals' 'India's national interest should always be supreme… keeping that in mind, if a good deal happens then India is always ready to do deals with developed countries,' Goyal said. 'Jab deal achchhi ban jaaye, puri tarah se pakk jaaye tab usko sweekar karenge (When a good deal is done and ready, then we will accept it),' he emphasised. Asked whether he was hopeful of a trade deal with the US, Goyal said, 'I have told you many times that India negotiates FTAs on its own terms'. He added that trade discussions are on with the European Union and different countries—New Zealand, Oman, US, Chile and Peru. US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that his administration would send letters to individual countries which don't have a deal with the US, specifying the tariffs they would now have to pay to export to America. In April, Trump had announced reciprocal tariffs for most of the trading partners based on their trade surpluses with the US, including a 26% levy on India. The Indian government wants the entire 26% levy to be rolled back and is negotiating with the Trump administration. However, the US' demand for market access across sectors, including sensitive agriculture and dairy products, and insistence on genetically modified crops, have been some sticky areas. On the issue of the two sides inking multiple deals on issues as and when they get agreed, an official said that all possibilities are on the table.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
HC dismisses Hindu side plea seeking use of ‘disputed structure' in place of Mathura's ‘Shahi Idgah mosque'
1 2 Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court on Friday dismissed an application moved by the Hindu side seeking court direction that in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah title dispute case, the word 'disputed structure' be used at the place of 'Shahi Idgah mosque'. Earlier, during the court proceedings, an application was moved in original suit no. 13 of 2023 with prayer to direct the stenographer concerned to use word 'disputed structure' in place of order 'Shahi Idgah Mosque' in the entire further proceedings of this original suit along with other connected matters. The application was supported by an affidavit of advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh. Subsequently, the written objection was filed on behalf of Muslim side, who are defendants in the suit. The Hindu side had submitted before the court that the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura was constructed on the exact site that is "historically recognized" as the original birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism. The site holds immense religious significance for Hindus, as it is widely believed to be the precise location where Lord Krishna was born. However, on the other hand, it was submitted on behalf of the Muslim side that the present application has been filed with an intent to abuse the process of law. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 안구건조 걱정 없이 안전하게 강남아이원스안과 지금 신청하기 Undo According to them, the mosque has been in existence for the last over 400 years and its existence is sought to be undermined by the present application, which is not permissible under law. The trial of the suit is yet to commence. Allowing the present application will amount to pre-determination that Shahi Masjid Idgah is not a mosque, at an early stage, in the suit. While dismissing the application on Friday, Justice Ram Manohar Narain Mishra observed, "A bare perusal of the pleading of the parties in the suit reveals that there is dispute between the parties with regard to the site where Shahi Masjid Idgah is existing. Parties have claimed their respective title over suit property. Therefore, it may be termed as property in dispute." "In pleadings of the parties also, the structure in question is referred as Shahi Masjid Idgah and at this stage, where hearing of the suits is yet to commence and even issues have not been framed, it is neither desirable nor expedient to issue any direction to stenographer, as prayed by the applicants, to refer Shahi Masjid Idgah in judgments and orders as 'disputed structure'. There is no dispute with regard to identity of property in suit, therefore, the prayer made in the application cannot be granted at this stage," the court further said.
