Zohran Mamdani, Democratic socialist and frontrunner in New York City’s mayoral race, is facing renewed scrutiny after reports revealed he identified as both Asian and African American on his 2009 Columbia University application, despite not being Black and having no African ancestry.
The revelation stems from data obtained through a recent cyberattack on Columbia University, which exposed application records spanning decades. Mamdani, then a high school senior, selected “Asian” and “Black or African American” as his race on his Columbia University application. At the time, Columbia’s admissions process included affirmative action policies that considered race among other factors.
Mamdani, now 33, explained that the limited racial categories on the application failed to capture his whole background. He said he checked multiple boxes in an effort to “capture the fullness” of his identity. In a section that allowed for further detail, he wrote “Ugandan.” Born in Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani was not a U.S. citizen at the time; he became naturalized in 2018. While not being African American–because he does not have African ancestry–he still chose to select the box and use affirmative action policies that are supposed to help Black students who are seeking higher education achieve acceptance at prestigious institutions.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams responded sharply to the reports, describing Mamdani’s actions as “an insult to every student who got into college the right way.” He criticized the use of African American identity as “a checkbox of convenience,” adding that it represents “a history, a struggle, and a lived experience.” His campaign called on Columbia to release Mamdani’s complete application and investigate any potential violations of university policy.
Adams’ spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, in a statement to the NY Post, said, “It’s now clear that Zohran Mamdani misrepresented his racial identity to gain admission to Columbia University, and at the time, he wasn’t even a US citizen. This is not just dishonest — it’s possibly fraudulent. It may have taken a place away from a qualified African American applicant and misused a process designed to correct real, systemic inequities.”
Adding to the controversy, a resurfaced video circulating on social media shows Mamdani denying he would ever identify as African American. When asked directly whether he would claim African American status, Mamdani responded, “No, I would not claim that status,” calling such a description “misleading.” Despite knowing that claiming African American status for himself would be misleading, he still checked the box on his college application, misleading Columbia University as an institution and, if he had been admitted, taking the seat from an African American.
Critics also noted that Mamdani’s campaign did not prioritize outreach to Black voters during the primary. With the general election approaching, his efforts to connect with those communities have increased, raising questions about his current political strategy in contrast to past actions.
