New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is responding to renewed attention after a 2009 Columbia University application was leaked as part of a recent data breach.
The form revealed that Mamdani selected both “Asian” and “Black or African American” under racial identification.
In comments made to The New York Times, Mamdani explained that he marked multiple boxes to represent his background.
Born in Uganda to Indian parents, he said, “Even though these boxes are constraining, I wanted my college application to reflect who I was".
He noted that most forms at the time did not offer a specific category for Indian-Ugandans. He also clarified that he does not identify as Black or African American, but “as an American who was born in Africa.”
According to reports, his application was ultimately not accepted by Columbia.
Following the leak, Mamdani’s name trended on X, where users reacted with a wide range of commentary. Some questioned whether the racial selections were appropriate, while others highlighted the challenges of fitting multicultural identities into standardized forms.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams responded publicly, calling the disclosure “deeply offensive” and urging Columbia to release Mamdani’s full application record.
The story continues to draw attention online and in political circles as conversations about identity, transparency, and public leadership unfold ahead of the upcoming election.
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