Thirty-four-year-old Zohran Mamdani was historically elected this past week as the first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, and one of the youngest mayors in New York’s history. While the media has sensationalized Mamdani’s ethnic and religious background, Mamdani’s reach to voters has also been a hot topic. According to the Guardian, Zohran’s novel campaign strategies proved successful as he secured over 50.4 percent of the total vote, more than the other two mayoral candidates combined. Voter turnout, particularly among young people, was uncharacteristically high. Even as a non-New Yorker, I must admit I smiled at an Instagram video of the end of Mamdani’s acceptance speech. As Mamdani waved at the crowd, I could clearly hear the iconic instrumentals of “Dhoom Machale,” the titular track of the Bollywood film “Dhoom,” a franchise I had grown up watching. I swelled with pride at the reference to our shared Indian identity. For South Asians, Mamdani’s mayoral victory not only represents cultural recognition but also validates their intersectional identities as Americans. For the U.S as a whole, it indicates the reinvigoration of immigrants against the xenophobic ideology of the current federal government.
Japneet Singh, the co-founder of “South Asians for Zohran” and participant in Mamdani’s campaign, noted the surreality of a Muslim South Asian mayor as someone who grew up in a post-9/11 landscape. Many South Asians in New York have historically faced marginalization, particularly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The number of hate crimes against Muslims annually has still not receded to pre-9/11 levels. Mamdani’s victory promises a new era, one that celebrates immigrants for their contributions, rather than persecuting them.
Upon his election, Mamdani confirmed his celebration of U.S. immigration and its centrality to New York City. Mamdani’s unabashed pride for being an immigrant resonated deeply with many South Asians. A group of locals streamed Mamdani’s speech from one of his favorite restaurants, “Kebab King”, where diners cheered “Mamdani Mubarak!” and reflected on their feelings of recognition and hope upon his election. This is the power that Mamdani’s election represents for South Asians: it reinforces the community between them and symbolizes the desire of the community to be represented on the national stage.. Even the way the locals celebrated Mamdani’s win, by eating South Asian food and speaking Arabic, spoke to the newfound ability to exhibit their collective cultural identity without being subject to xenophobia.
Mamdani embraced New York’s diversity in his campaign, switching between several languages, including Urdu, Arabic, and Hindi, to reach immigrant communities. Resultantly, there was a whopping 40 percent increase in South Asian voter turnout in the June primary, compared to the primary in 2021. He has encouraged voters to continue infusing their experiences as Americans with their identities as immigrants. If the definition of “American” grows to accept immigrants more fully, the tide of future elections could shift drastically. While this is an entirely different sentiment from that of the current federal government, the traction that Mamdani’s campaign and subsequent election have garnered globally has the potential to reform American attitudes toward immigrant communities.
In a time when democracy is under fire, Mamdani’s election has the potential to shake up societal norms surrounding immigrants. While I don’t know how Zohran Mamdani’s mayoralty will play out, his appointment has already inspired South Asian-Americans to celebrate their ethnic cultures. Hopefully, Zohran Mamdani’s appointment will lead to a more global America, and more importantly, a more inclusive country.
