Incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams has demanded that Columbia University release Zohran Mamdani’s admission records, after it was revealed that Mamdani identified as both Asian and African American on his application—before he became a U.S. citizen.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim immigrant from Uganda and the frontrunner in the city’s mayoral race, applied to the Ivy League school in 2009. He checked both “Asian” and “African American” boxes, explaining to the New York Times that neither category alone fully represented his identity.
At the time, Mamdani was not yet a U.S. citizen, obtaining naturalization in 2018, and he retains dual citizenship with Uganda. In a section of the application that allowed for elaboration, which was ultimately rejected, Mamdani specified his Ugandan background.
Mayor Eric Adams criticized Zohran Mamdani for identifying as Asian and African American on his rejected 2009 Columbia University application, despite not yet being a U.S. citizen at the time.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed outrage over Zohran Mamdani’s actions, calling them “an insult to every student who got into college the right way.” He condemned what he saw as Mamdani’s attempt to circumvent the system.
“The African American identity is not a checkbox of convenience. It’s a history, a struggle, and a lived experience. For someone to exploit that for personal gain is deeply offensive,” Adams, who is Black, said in a statement.
Taking a stronger stance, Adams’s campaign accused Mamdani of potentially taking an admission spot meant for a genuine African American applicant.
“It’s now clear that Zohran Mamdani misrepresented his racial identity to gain admission to Columbia University, and at the time, he wasn’t even a U.S. citizen. This is not just dishonest — it’s possibly fraudulent. It may have taken a place away from a qualified African American applicant and misused a process designed to correct real, systemic inequities,” said campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro.
“We need answers because the people of New York deserve to know whether the man asking for their vote built his career on a possibly fraudulent foundation.”
A “hacktivist” breached Columbia University’s systems and stole sensitive information late last month.
Mamdani’s application was leaked to the New York Times after a “hacktivist” reportedly stole sensitive information—including applications—from over 2 million members of Columbia University.
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The Adams campaign has called on Columbia University to release Zohran Mamdani’s admissions records, launch an investigation into any potential policy violations, and clarify whether his non-citizen status influenced the admissions decision.
Notably, Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, has been a professor of anthropology, political science, and African studies at Columbia since 1999.
According to an American Pulse survey released Thursday, Mamdani remains the clear frontrunner in the upcoming November general election. He secured 35% support among likely voters, followed by former Governor Andrew Cuomo at 29%. Republican Curtis Sliwa received 16%, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent, garnered 14%. Independent candidate Jim Walden trailed with 1%.
The Post has reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.
