In the wake of reports regarding Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist candidate for mayor of New York City, scrutiny has intensified surrounding his identity and academic background. It was revealed that Mamdani identified as both “Asian” and “Black/African American” on his application to Columbia University, where he scored 2140 out of a possible 2400 on the SAT. This score falls below the median of admitted students for the class of 2013, which ranged between 2110 and 2300. Despite meeting the minimum requirements for admission, Mamdani was ultimately not accepted to Columbia. This incident drew renewed attention amid his mayoral campaign, raising questions about identity politics in elite educational admissions.
Mamdani has articulated that his intent in checking multiple identity boxes was to reflect his “complex background” rather than to manipulate the admissions process. He has consistently identified himself as “an American who was born in Africa.” At the core of this controversy is the now-abandoned race-conscious admissions policy that Columbia and many other elite universities employed prior to a Supreme Court ruling that dismantled such practices in 2023. The reporting on Mamdani’s college application details came from a leaked database, further complicating the narrative surrounding his identity claims and academic ambitions.
The New York Times recently reported that despite identifying as “Black or African American” on the Columbia application, Mamdani no longer considers himself part of that racial category. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor at Columbia known for his intense academic engagements, has Indian roots, and the family has strong ties to East Africa. The discrepancy between Mamdani’s past identifier and his current stance on racial identity raises questions about authenticity and the sometimes contentious nature of racial self-identification in a political landscape increasingly focused on intersectionality.
Adding further context to Mamdani’s identity, he has embraced both his South Asian and Muslim heritage on the campaign trail while also highlighting his African roots. He emphasized this blend during a speech at Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, recalling that he was born in Uganda and was named Kwame after Ghana’s first prime minister. His campaign posits a democratic socialist agenda, aiming to radically transform New York City. This political platform is markedly different from that of incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who initially campaigned as a Democrat but is now running for re-election as an independent.
Mamdani’s aspirations to reshape New York’s policy landscape reflect his progressive vision, which stands in contrast to traditional Democratic platforms, indicating a generational shift within the party. His potential to upset the current political order in New York City resonates with broader trends of discontent among progressive voter bases. In this context, Mamdani emerges as a representative of younger, more diverse perspectives within a party grappling with its identity and direction in a rapidly changing political environment.
As Mamdani’s mayoral campaign progresses, the intersection of identity politics, educational credentials, and political ideologies will likely continue to be scrutinized. The revelations surrounding his Columbia application offer a glimpse into the complexities of navigating personal identity in a highly competitive and politicized space, where voters and opponents are keen to assess not just policy proposals but the authenticity and motivations of candidates themselves. Thus, the ongoing discourse about his background and qualifications will very much set the stage for Mamdani’s electoral viability and future contributions to the Democratic Party’s evolving narrative.
