NYC’s new Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, once claimed to be “Black/African American” on his college application despite having Indian parents, then scored below Columbia’s admission standards.
At a Glance
- Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the new Democratic nominee for NYC mayor, is under fire for his past racial self-identification.
- Leaked records show that Mamdani, who is of Indian descent, identified as both “Asian” and “Black/African American” on his 2009 application to Columbia University.
- His SAT score was below the median for admitted students that year, fueling accusations that he was trying to game the affirmative action system.
- Mamdani now admits he doesn’t consider himself Black, a convenient clarification now that he has won the primary.
Another Socialist, Another Identity Game
Just what New York City needs—another far-left politician who appears to have played fast and loose with his identity when it suited him. Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, who just won the Democratic nomination for mayor, is now facing a firestorm over revelations about his past. Leaked records from a Columbia University database show that Mamdani, the son of Indian parents who was born in Uganda, checked both the “Asian” and “Black/African American” boxes on his 2009 college application.
This convenient racial self-identification came at a time when Columbia was still using race-conscious admissions policies. As reported by MSN, his SAT score of 2140 was below the median for admitted students that year, leading to accusations that he was cynically trying to leverage racial preferences to gain an unfair advantage.
A Privileged Background, A Convenient Identity
Despite his father being a professor at Columbia, Mamdani was not accepted. Now, as he campaigns for mayor, he has conveniently dropped the “Black” identity, emphasizing instead his South Asian and Muslim background. It’s a masterclass in identity politics bingo, where a candidate can seemingly select whichever identity is most politically beneficial at any given moment.
When questioned, Mamdani has claimed his choice on the application was merely to reflect his “complex background.” This excuse rings hollow given his privileged upbringing in an affluent Manhattan household, which hardly suggests a need for the special consideration that affirmative action was designed for.
“Zohran Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents,” reports @Olivia_Reingold—yet on his Columbia application, he identified as “Asian” and “Black or African American.” To critics, it’s the latest in a pattern of calculated self-reinvention. https://t.co/mmk8s5NBKP
— The Free Press (@TheFP) July 7, 2025
Socialist Policies for America’s Largest City
After his stunning primary victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani is now the standard-bearer for the city’s progressive wing. His campaign focuses on typical socialist talking points: more government control, higher taxes, and radical policies that have already driven thousands of businesses and taxpayers out of New York.
In his victory speech, reported by AOL News, he vowed to “reject Donald Trump’s fascism” and “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our mayor,” a bizarre and inflammatory claim.
New York voters now face a stark choice in the general election between incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (running as an independent), Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and a Democratic Socialist who apparently couldn’t decide if he was Asian or Black when it might have helped him get into college.
