Zohran Mamdani and the Shifting Identity of Indian-Americans

by Prasanna June 25, 2025 0 Comment

Outright hatred has suddenly replaced many Indians’ desire to attribute any success on the international scene to anyone who is even slightly Indian in terms of their genetic composition.

I went to an Independence Day reception in New York City in 2022 with a close buddy, which we both instantly regretted going to. With Mayor Eric Adams and a foreign president as the main guests, superb waterfront vistas, sophisticated cocktails, and visually stunning food, it was a very high-profile affair. In the tri-state region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the aforementioned acquaintance and his spouse are well-mannered members of the Indian community. The behaviour of several community members during the event appalled us. The name of an Indian political leader was chanted, interrupting the guests’ speeches. The same leader was the subject of the hosts’ eulogies. The site of the gala was nearly forgotten. My friend’s tolerance and sense of humour in putting up with the grotesqueness of that evening always amaze me.

A Crisis of Identity?

The first mayoral candidate of Indian descent in New York City, who is on the verge of becoming mayor, has been the target of defamation due to the same grotesqueness. All of a sudden, the desire of many Indians to attribute any success on the international scene to anyone who is even slightly Indian in terms of their genetic composition has evolved into pure hatred. The fact that 33-year-old Zohran Kwame Mamdani is the son of Padma Bhushan and National Award-winning director Mira Nair is no longer significant. Furthermore, it makes little difference that his program pledged to make New York a livable city for everyone, particularly immigrants who are unable to isolate themselves in the sense of security that comes with money.

It’s funny how certain Indians, both domestically and in the US, are determined to make Mamdani into their worst nightmare: the cunning ‘jihadi’ who will usher in an Ummah hegemony in the utopian city of New York City. Only Mamdani’s name matters, not his campaign or poll pledges. His religion, which he has hardly mentioned in public, has turned into the one thing that can defeat all of his other personas. Infuriated Indians have joined Israel’s fervent fans in accusing him of being a rabid Muslim, anti-Christian, anti-Hindu, and anti-Jew. Perhaps because no one considered giving him a taweez, dressing him in a Pathani outfit, and dousing his eyes with surma, this endeavour failed.

‘Irrational’ Requests from Mamdani

Attempting to rationalise government spending to lower grocery prices—a topic that US President Donald Trump used to fuel his successful campaign—is another of Mamdani’s misdeeds. In one of the priciest cities on earth, he also wants rent to be controlled. His critics are obviously yelling foul. But why are New York City Indians against it? Because of the exorbitant rent, don’t many of them live in New Jersey and work in Manhattan? Just to stand in packed trains twice a day, where it’s common for one individual to take two or three seats? Do they not share meal expenses and look for deals in grocery stores, which is something that is uncommon in India?

However, it is understandable why Delhi residents are sceptical of his plans. Many of us are calling Mamdani New York’s Kejriwal after being forcefully reminded of the morass of corruption after being bitten by Kejriwal’s optimism bug. Being cautious, even sceptical, is perfectly acceptable.

The Curse Of The ‘Outsider’

Experts in economics have already deemed Mamdani’s progressive economics to be a failure. However, have they provided a substitute that actually aims to address the numerous financial issues that city people encounter? Most of the time, everything is thrown at the “outsiders”‘ doorstep. People from “outside” have taken over all the jobs, leaving poor Americans jobless and impoverished. foreigners, such as Indians, who earn less than the minimum wage working in kitchens. They strive to achieve the American Dream by saving every dime while working in the banking and IT industries. They wait years for the court to consider their citizenship or asylum claims so they can finally negotiate for equitable treatment. Many of them have declared their opposition to Mamdani.

What real disasters Mamdani’s term as mayor might bring to the Big Apple is still up in the air. For the time being, let’s just hope for the worse and let our sorrow cloud this historic political occasion.