Zohran Mamdani identified as both Asian and Black on college application, report reveals

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani checked boxes identifying himself as both “Asian” and “Black or African America” on his 2009 Columbia University application, according to data obtained through a cyberattack on the university.

What it says: The revelation emerged from internal Columbia data derived from the cyberattack that occurred last month, shared with The New York Times by an intermediary who opposes affirmative action and writes about race and IQ. The database contained records spanning decades with details on citizenship, national origin, standardized test scores, race and admission outcomes. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, was not accepted to Columbia despite being a Bronx Science graduate and the son of a Columbia professor. The application reportedly allowed students to provide more specific information where relevant and Mamdani wrote in “Ugandan.”

What he’s saying: Mamdani defended his application choices in a subsequent interview with the Times, explaining that he views himself not as Black or African American but as “an American who was born in Africa.” He described his decision as reflecting his complex background within the limited options provided, denying any intent to gain admission advantages. “Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,” he said. The Rebel Yellow could not locate any public statements where Mamdani identified as Black or African American.

Critics sound off: Mayor Eric Adams, who lost to Mamdani in the primary but will face him again as an independent in November, called Mamdani’s actions “an insult to every student who got into college the right way. “The African American identity is not a check-box of convenience,” he stressed, with his campaign team calling for a “full internal review.” The team of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani’s biggest challenger in the primary, also described the matter as possible fraud and suggested it might indicate broader deception. The story also sparked internal dispute at the Times, where columnist Jamelle Bouie criticized the reporting on social media before removing his posts for violating company standards.