Latest news with #Indian-Ugandans
New York Post
20 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Cuomo camp says Mamdani college-app drama is just ‘tip of iceberg' and could hide ‘fraud'
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's camp Friday said the fact that mayoral foe Zohran Mamdani claimed to be black on a college application could be 'just the tip of the iceberg' in terms of potential 'fraud.'' The socialist Mamdani marked both 'Black or African American' and 'Asian' on his 2009 app to Columbia University, which had affirmative-action policies at the time. Both of Mamdani's parents are of Asian Indian descent — and the pol even admitted to the New York Times when it outed him that he does not consider himself black or African American. 'This should come as no surprise as Mamdani, his proposals, his funding, and his background received absolutely no scrutiny from the press,' Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi seethed of the leading mayoral candidate's old college application. Socialist Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who is of Asian Indian descent, has stirred up controversy for marking himself 'black' on his college application to Columbia University. AP 'This issue must be fully investigated, because, if true, it could be fraud and just the tip of the iceberg,' the rep said. Mamdani, 33, who was born in Uganda, told the Times he didn't make the selections on his application to try to get a competitive advantage but rather because he didn't feel what was available fully captured his racial makeup. Either way, his application ended up getting rejected. 'Most college applications don't have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,' said the pol from Astoria, Queens. 'Even though these boxes are constraining, I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.' He said he considers himself 'an American who was born in Africa.' Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo did exponentially better with black voters in New York City than Mamdani. Stephen Yang Cuomo and Mamdani were the frontrunners in the mayoral democratic primary for months, with the ex-governor consistently leading in the polls. That didn't stop Mamdani from pulling off a stunning upset, crushing the career pol in a landslide win of 56% to 44% in the third round of the city's ranked choice voting. But Cuomo did exponentially better with black voters throughout his campaign, a demographic that Mamdani struggled to make inroads with. In the primaries, Cuomo dominated in precincts where at least 70% of the residents were black, grabbing 56% of the votes while Mamdani took just 26%. Exact voter data will be available July 15. Cuomo remains on the general election ballot as an independent candidate.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Columbia application leak puts Zohran Mamdani in spotlight
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.
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Trump Calls Him A ‘Communist Lunatic' – But Zohran Mamdani's Roots Trace Back To Ethnic Cleansing In Uganda
New Delhi: U.S. President Donald Trump has slammed Zohran Mamdani's Democratic primary victory in New York with a scathing post. 'A 100% Communist Lunatic. The Democrats have finally crossed the line,' he wrote on Social Truth. This is not the first time Mamdani has rattled the old guard. But this time, it is different. A city like New York, with a long liberal history, now inches closer to a hard-left mayoral candidate. And Trump's fury reflects more than political outrage. It reflects fear of what is ahead. A 32-year-old New York State Assembly member, Mamdani rode a bold platform. Housing for all, free public transport and wealth taxes. No apologies. No filters. His message – the system is broken and must be rebuilt. But behind the headlines, another story is gaining attention. A distant past. A shared trauma. Both Mamdani and Kash Patel – once Trump's trusted pick for FBI Director – were born in Uganda. Both families were uprooted during the brutal purge of Indian-origin citizens under dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s. It was not only exile. It was horror. Thousands were killed. Properties were looted. Lives were destroyed. A generation of Indian-Ugandans was wiped off the map. Some fled to London. Some to Canada. Some, like Mamdani's and Patel's families, made it to America. During his Senate testimony earlier this year, Patel recalled what his father lived through. 'Three lakh people murdered… for how they looked,' he said, adding that he ran for his life. Mamdani's father, Mahmood, a young academic then, was among those expelled. He went on to become a leading scholar on colonialism in Africa. Two men. Two parties. One legacy. Trump's wrath may be aimed at Mamdani's politics. But it also reminds the country of what shapes leaders behind the scenes. Family scars. Forgotten massacres. Silent histories. Mamdani has not responded to Trump's latest remark. His campaign has kept focus on the issues – housing, transit and inequality. But as November draws closer, and as his name spreads beyond New York's boroughs, one thing is clear. This race is no longer about a mayoral seat. It is about what America is ready to accept and what it still refuses to forget.
