Zohran Mamdani’s historic New York mayoral win signals a shift in how South Asian American politicians embrace their identity in US politics
WASHINGTON: New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani quoted extensively from India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his victory speech.
He left the stage to Bollywood music from the blockbuster “Dhoom” rather than traditional New York tunes.
Mamdani won with a left-wing agenda focused on making New York more affordable for residents.
At 34, he becomes the city’s first Muslim, first South Asian, and youngest mayor in a century.
“I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older, I am Muslim, I am a democratic socialist and — most damning of all — I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani told supporters in a Brooklyn music venue.
South Asians constitute one of America’s fastest-growing communities with over five million people.
They have made significant political inroads, notably former vice president Kamala Harris whose mother was from India.
Other Indian American candidates like Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal emphasized their Christian conversion in conservative Southern states.
“The comfort level expressing and embracing outwardly your identity has varied from candidate to candidate over the years,” said Kishan Putta, a Democratic Party advisory committee member.
Putta noted Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi prominently features her Muslim and South Asian identity on her website.
Mamdani’s identity reflects complex heritage—born in Uganda to Indian-born academic Mahmood Mamdani and Hindu filmmaker Mira Nair.
He has spoken passionately about post-9/11 Islamophobia and counts a Jackson Heights kebab counter as his favorite restaurant.
Mamdani’s background “certainly is a break from what we have seen in the past,” said political scientist Sara Sadhwani.
She described his victory as “a symbolic moment of acceptance of Indian Americans” even for those who disagree with his politics.
President Donald Trump has fiercely attacked Mamdani despite previously courting Indian American voters.
Online far-right campaigners have recently targeted Indian Americans with hateful comments.
Trump increased fees for visas used by Indian tech workers as part of broader immigration restrictions.
Vice President JD Vance recently expressed hope his Indian American wife Usha would convert from Hinduism to Christianity.
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy advised Republicans to “cut out the identity politics” after election losses.
Longtime Republican militant Dinesh D’Souza noted many Indian Americans have shifted to the Democratic Party following right-wing rhetoric. – AFP
