Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic mayoral candidate in New York City, identified as 'Asian' and 'Black or African American' on his Columbia University application in 2009. He emphasized his Muslim background during his campaign, connecting with voters through his upbringing. Despite checking these racial categories, Mamdani stated he does not identify as 'Black or African American' but rather as 'an American who was born in Africa.' He noted the lack of specific options for his identity led him to select multiple boxes to represent his background adequately.
"Most college applications don't have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background."
"Even though these boxes are constraining, I wanted my college application to reflect who I was."
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