NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Clarifies His Heritage

Zohran Mamdani, a leading contender in the New York City mayoral race, once publicly acknowledged that it would be “misleading” to identify himself as African American, despite having listed that race on a college application.

A resurfaced video shows Mamdani, 33, explaining his background during an encounter on the campaign trail. When asked about his heritage, he described himself as “an Indian, Ugandan, New Yorker.”

Zohran Mamdani celebrating his primary victory in New York. — A shot of Mamdani celebrating a primary victory.

Asked if he would adopt an African American identity, Mamdani stated clearly, “No I would not,” expressing pride in his Ugandan roots but acknowledging that claiming that identity could be considered “misleading.”

Mamdani explained that his college application allowed him to provide more detailed personal information, so he checked both “Asian” and “Black or African American” boxes to accurately represent his multifaceted background, even though most applications do not have such options for Indian-Ugandans. He also indicated his Ugandan nationality in a section for additional details.

Zohran Mamdani waves at the NYC Pride March. — Zohran Mamdani at a Pride march, highlighting his active community involvement.

He maintained that his race choices were not aimed at gaining an advantage but reflect his true identity, despite the limited options on college forms. Mamdani emphasized that he intentionally listed “Ugandan” in a section reserved for additional personal details and believes his background is best described as “an American who was born in Africa.”