Mamdani Victory Inspires Hope Among South Asian and Muslim New Yorkers”

Hari Kondabolu, a stand-up comedian who has been friends with the candidate for 15 years, is euphoric about Zohran Mamdani’s success in New York City’s Democratic primary for mayor.

On Tuesday, Mamdani shocked the political establishment by declaring victory in the ranked-choice primary election, where his main rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, admitted defeat.

At the time of launching his campaign, the unabashed democratic socialist was ranked near the bottom of the pack. The 33-year-old state assemblyman now has the opportunity to become the first Asian American and Muslim mayor of New York City. Mamdani immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 7 years old, and he became a citizen in 2018. His parents were Indian, and he was born in Kampala, Uganda.

For Kondabolu, this moment brings not only excitement but also emotion.

“Many of us have experienced being brown in New York, a city that has long been diverse and feels like home to us. “ But after 9/11, you start to question it, like, is this our city too?” Kondabolu said. “And 25 years later … it feels surreal; this is the same city, but it’s not because we’ve elected this person.”

Many South Asian Americans, including those of Indian and Pakistani descent, as well as Muslims, have found themselves intrigued by Mamdani’s campaign—even if they don’t see eye to eye with him on every point. In spite of that resistance, a few individuals regard his ascent as a beacon of hope in a city where racism and xenophobia flared up after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

South Asians and Muslims riveted by primary in New York and beyond

Mamdani’s remarkable journey has inspired many of the over 300,000 South Asian residents of New York City.

„Meine Mutter hat ihren Freunden SMS geschickt, in denen sie für ihn gestimmt haben. Kondabolu stated, “I’ve never witnessed my mother do that before.” “The fact that it has mobilized our entire family like this—it feels personal.”

Snigdha Sur, the founder and CEO of The Juggernaut (an online publication focused on South Asian news), is intrigued by the reactions from certain individuals in India and the diaspora.

Numerous individuals from the Global South Asian community … express sentiments like, ‘Oh, this guy is my mayor, and I don’t live in New York City,’” Sur noted.

Simultaneously, there are those who feel concern or anger regarding Mamdani’s previous comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he referred to publicly as a “war criminal.”

Thasin Sardar has been tracking Mamdani’s rise online from Michigan. Upon first hearing him, he seemed “genuine” to him, and he felt “an instant connection,” he said.

“This win restores my faith in the people as a Muslim American,” stated Sardar, who was born and raised in India. “I’m pleased that some individuals appreciate the candidate and his policies more than his personal religious convictions and chose not to reject him.”

due to his skin color or the circumstance that he was an immigrant with a rare name.

Zainab Shabbir, a voter from New York, mentioned that her relatives in California and other places are also eagerly paying attention.

“My family in California were very much like, ‘Oh, it’s so nice to see a South Asian Muslim candidate become the mayor of a major city,’” she said. She mentioned that a brother told her Mamdani’s ascent serves as an excellent example for his children.

Accepting Indian and Muslim origins

Backers and commentators concur that Mamdani’s campaign has shown a savvy use of social media and authenticity. He paid visits to various mosques. He speaks in Hindi or adds a touch of Bollywood in his videos. Other politicians of South Asian American descent, including Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, commended that.

„Ich finde es toll, dass er sich seiner Herkunft nicht entzogen hat. Khanna referenced the Indian actor by saying, “I mean, he did music videos with Amitabh Bachchan and Hindi films.” “He demonstrates that it is possible to embrace one’s roots and heritage while achieving success in American politics.”

However, his success also mirrors “the urgency of the economic message, the challenge that people are facing regarding rent and the cost of living, and how addressing that is so powerful,” added the progressive California Democrat.

Tanzeela Rahman, whose parents were Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, stated that she grew up in New York with a “very low income.”

„Er ließ mich fühlen, dass er mich wahrnahm – so, wie kein Politiker das je getan hätte“, sagte die 29-jährige Finanzsystemanalystin. “I believe that only a handful of government officials grasp … the difficulty of surviving in New York City.”

She described Mamdani as “unabashedly Muslim” and as “a voice who, literally, to me sounds like a New Yorker who’s stepping in and saying, ‘Hey, let’s reclaim our power.’”

Mamdani has addressed the working class, yet he was raised in relatively privileged circumstances. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, teaches at Columbia University, while his mother is the filmmaker Mira Nair.

Although he lived in Queens, he went to The Bronx High School of Science. Kondabolu, the comedian, recalled that he cared about social justice even as a teen.

His campaign messaging regarding matters like affordable housing and free bus rides may not strike a chord with South Asian households in New York City that have income levels above the median. However, the irony is that, according to Sur, his campaign and “great kind of soundbites” also garnered support from that demographic.

Sur stated, “I believe it was surprising that he performed so well among the wealthiest, including his own community.”

Mamdani’s vocal endorsement of Palestinian causes and condemnation of Israel and its military actions in Gaza struck a chord with pro-Palestinian constituents, including Muslims, but created friction within the mayoral election. His stances and comments on this sensitive topic have elicited rebukes from adversaries and certain Jewish organizations, but he has also received endorsements from some Jewish activists and politicians.

Racism and xenophobia

The success of Mamdani immediately provoked intense anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from certain well-known conservatives on social media. This included a post from conservative media figure Charlie Kirk, who claimed that “legal immigration can ruin your country.” The youngest member of Congress, Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost, tweeted in response: “For years they sold people the lie of ‘we have no problem if you come the right way!’”

His supporters are not worried that racism and Islamophobia will divert attention from Mamdani’s campaign. Kondabolu stated that those feelings were clearly not “enough for him to lose” the primary.

“A new generation wants their voice heard, and they emerged in full force, not only by voting but also by getting others emotionally invested in this candidate,” said Kondabolu. „Das ist außergewöhnlich.“