With a significant share of the vote, Zohran Mamdani will become New York’s first Muslim mayor. This remarkable accomplishment is a huge breakthrough moment in the city’s political and racial landscape. As an immigrant from the African nation of Uganda, his distinctive perspective rooted in his family’s deep cultural heritage and his own lived experiences will be invaluable. His election comes at a time when so many majority-minority communities across the U.S. are looking for and demanding representation and inclusivity in leadership roles.
A scion of a politically influential family, Mamdani is not just a celebrated African scholar. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a renowned scholar of colonialism and a professor at Columbia University, while his mother, Mira Nair, is a world-acknowledged filmmaker known for films like “Mississippi Masala.” This feature documentary goes in-depth with the lives of Ugandan Indians, exiled under Idi Amin’s rule. At once brutally honest and full of beauty, it mirrors his family’s larger story. As Uganda plunged into violence amid the upheaval, Mahmood Mamdani found himself expelled from Uganda. This personal experience has no doubt informed Zohran’s perspective on immigration, identity and belonging.
Spending his formative years in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York with his family at the age of five. They moved to Manhattan, where she enrolled him in the private Bank Street School. His unique childhood experience continues to impact who he is today. He is unapologetically proud of his immigrant roots and Muslim faith. Mamdani unapologetically calls himself a democratic socialist. He cites Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign with sparking his passion to fight for major issues like cost-of-living, affordability and healthcare.
During his tenure representing New York’s 36th state assembly district, Mamdani garnered attention for his work with taxi drivers in the city. Throughout his career, he has used his voice and vision to passionately advocate for workers from all backgrounds. He feels that these people are the true grit of New York.
Referencing great historical activists like Eugene Debs and Jawaharlal Nehru in his victory speech, Mamdani unerringly pointed to his mission ahead. He quoted Nehru’s poignant words about significant moments in history:
“A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” – Zohran Mamdani
It is that vision to create a New York that honors and welcomes the voices, places and people that shaped it that is encapsulated in this quote from Mamdani. No wonder his unusual campaign has struck a chord with constituents and especially the educationally-at-risk immigrant children he directly serves.
Irene Hsu, a member of a local group of immigrant homeowners to oppose such development, commended Mamdani’s work. She emphasized the diversity of people who work in the city and highlighted their contributions:
“The people who work with us, they’re cooks, they’re restaurant workers, they’re cab drivers, they’re home care workers, they’re students, they’re teachers, they’re parents, they’re elderly folks who have retired from working jobs as construction workers.” – Irene Hsu
Hsu thinks that Mamdani’s platform, going beyond the demands of the workers, is what workers need. He wants to use government to radically change the power dynamics in this country.
Mamdani’s election holds considerable symbolic value, though in many eyes, for many in the Muslim community. He has promised that he won’t live in the shadows as an immigrant or as a Muslim any longer. In his own words:
“I will no longer be in the shadows.” – Zohran Mamdani
His announcement is in line with a greater demand for seeing oneself in public-facing roles from all marginalized communities.
Filmmaker Mira Nair voiced similar hopes for her son’s campaign. She expressed pride in how it brought together diverse communities during divisive times:
“Zohran’s campaign has shown how you can bring together Jews and Muslims and Hindus and Christians in this highly divisive time in this country.” – Mira Nair
Nair believes that through collaboration and understanding, a more accepting world can be achieved:
“And we can create a world that is just more accepting, and, yeah, loving.” – Mira Nair
Nevertheless Mamdani enters his mayoral term with bold ambition. In this song, he unapologetically proclaims that he will be unafraid to act on his identity and belief. He openly identifies as a Muslim and a democratic socialist:
“I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.” – Zohran Mamdani
This defiant position struck a chord with those who are increasingly disenfranchised in today’s political environment. His collaborative and humble leadership style brings together all of New York’s vibrant and diverse communities. He’s been an outspoken advocate for policies to address the racial wealth gap.
It’s Mamdani’s unusual background that’s at the crux of his governance approach. His father was an immigrant who had suffered political exile. These challenges have profoundly shaped his vision of the realities so many young people experience today. Milton Obote exiled Mahmood Mamdani in the 1980s, revoking his Ugandan citizenship for public criticism of Obote’s policies. This moving event reveals the intricate layers of immigration and identity.
As he embarks on this new chapter as mayor, Mamdani is poised to drive change by representing the interests of all New Yorkers. His election is an important step on the path to creating diverse, inclusive leadership statewide and across the city.