Zohran Mamdani's Internationalism Is Not an Afterthought

"Throughout his political career in New York, Mamdani has both celebrated and interrogated his city's global footprint. As a member of the New York State Assembly, he introduced legislation to prevent nonprofits based in New York from funding the occupation of Palestine, while joining South Asian members of the New York City Council to denounce the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

"In his campaign for mayor, Mamdani was careful to focus on the pocketbook issues that united his broad-based coalition. But international solidarity carried a critical, if quieter, through-line in the campaign. He mobilized immigrant communities across the five boroughs in their own languages, including Urdu, Spanish, and Arabic. In his victory speech on election night, he addressed them directly: "I speak of Yemeni Bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties, yes, aunties.""

Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory reframes New York City governance as a vehicle for global solidarity and influence. Mamdani has both celebrated and interrogated the city's international footprint through legislative and political action. He sponsored measures to block New York-based nonprofits from funding the occupation of Palestine and joined colleagues in denouncing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit. His campaign prioritized bread-and-butter pocketbook issues while sustaining a quieter through-line of international solidarity. He mobilized immigrant communities in Urdu, Spanish, and Arabic and explicitly named diverse immigrant workers in his victory speech. The incoming administration can align the NYC Office of International Affairs with migrant rights and multilateral commitments.

Read at The Nation