Democratic Nominee Faces Scrutiny Over College Application Choices, Citing Complex Identity as Reason for Multiple Racial Identifications

New York City, NY - New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, is under scrutiny following a New York Times report revealing that he identified as both “Asian” and “Black or African American” on his 2009 Columbia University application. The information, derived from a hack of Columbia’s admissions data, has sparked debate about Mamdani’s racial self-identification as he campaigns to become the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

Mamdani, 33, a state assemblyman from Queens, was born in Kampala, Uganda, to parents of Indian descent. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University, and his mother, Mira Nair, is an acclaimed filmmaker. In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani explained that he checked multiple racial boxes on his college application to reflect his complex background as an Indian-Ugandan, given the limited options provided. “Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,” he said. He also noted that he wrote “Ugandan” in a section allowing for more specific information.

The revelation comes at a time when Mamdani has leaned heavily into his South Asian and Muslim identity during his campaign, releasing videos in Urdu and Bangla and emphasizing his status as the first South Asian man and Ugandan to serve in the New York State Assembly. He has also highlighted his African roots, particularly when addressing Black audiences, referencing his birthplace and his father’s activism in the American civil rights movement. However, Mamdani clarified that he does not consider himself Black or African American but rather “an American who was born in Africa.” He stated that his college application choices were not intended to gain an advantage in Columbia’s race-conscious affirmative action admissions process, which was in place at the time.

The leaked data, which Columbia has not officially validated, included details on applicants’ race, test scores, and admission outcomes but not the full application. The New York Times verified the data by cross-referencing a sample of Columbia alumni, and Mamdani did not dispute the information about his application. Despite his father’s position at Columbia, Mamdani was not accepted and ultimately attended Bowdoin College in Maine, where he majored in Africana studies.

The report has fueled controversy, with critics questioning whether Mamdani’s application choices were strategic, given the potential admissions advantage. Posts on X reflect mixed sentiments, with some users accusing Mamdani of manipulating identity politics, while others defend his attempt to navigate restrictive racial categories. “Zohran Mamdani checked BOTH ‘Asian’ and ‘Black or African American’ on his 2009 application to Columbia University. This is the kind of ‘high integrity’ people we want running our top cities,” one X user wrote sarcastically, while another argued, “He was trying to reflect his mixed background, not game the system.”

Mamdani’s campaign has not directly addressed the controversy but has faced other challenges, including Islamophobic attacks and misinformation about his citizenship status. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018 and holds dual citizenship with Uganda. As he prepares to face Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and potentially incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in the November 2025 election, the focus on his past application decisions adds another layer of complexity to his candidacy.

The Mamdani campaign declined to comment further when reached by this outlet. The controversy underscores ongoing debates about identity, affirmative action, and authenticity in American politics, particularly as Mamdani seeks to make history in New York City.