(June 10, 2025) On a chilly fall morning in Queens, Zohran Mamdani stood before a modest crowd in Astoria, the neighborhood he’s called home for years. The 33-year-old state assembly member had just announced he was running for mayor of New York City. Instead of starting with policy points or campaign slogans, he offered something more personal — a nod to his roots. Quoting a line from the Bollywood classic Deewar in fluent Hindi, he said, “Aaj uske paas building hai, property hai, bank balance hai… aapke paas kya hai? (Today he has buildings, property, a bank balance… what do you have?” Then, with a smile, he answered: “Aapke paas – aap ho.” You have yourself.
The crowd laughed, some clapped. It was a light moment, but it spoke volumes. In a city where identity and belonging are at the heart of politics, Mamdani was making his message clear: this campaign was about the people.
Zohran Mamdani
If he wins, Mamdani would be the city’s first South Asian and first Muslim mayor — a big moment in a city built by immigrants. But for him, it’s not just about making history. “It’s not about what I will become,” he said in a recent video. “It’s about what I will do.”
Rooted in Diaspora, Raised on Storytelling
His journey spans continents and generations. Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda in 1991 to parents whose lives were shaped by migration. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a renowned Ugandan scholar of Indian heritage who lived through the expulsion of South Asians under dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s. His mother, Mira Nair, moved from India to become an award-winning filmmaker, known for telling stories about people living between cultures. The two met in Kampala while she was researching Mississippi Masala, a film about the Indian community in Uganda.
Zohran grew up surrounded by these stories. “Part of my childhood was spent on movie sets,” he says, remembering how he even helped pick songs for his mother’s film Queen of Katwe. Watching Mira Nair succeed as an Indian woman in Hollywood left a mark on him. “She has this mantra: if we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will,” he says. That idea became a guide for him — to speak up for his own community through politics.
Zohran Mamdani with mom Mira Nair
From Immigrant Roots to Activist Voice
Mamdani’s early life was shaped by many cultures. When he was five, his family left Uganda for Cape Town, South Africa. Two years later, they moved again — this time to New York City. Growing up, Zohran learned to move between worlds. At school, he was just as comfortable singing Bollywood songs as he was rapping along to American hip-hop. He went on to attend the Bronx High School of Science, and later studied Africana Studies at Bowdoin College in Maine. There, he co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and became more involved in activism.
His passion for justice and equity, he says, was partly inspired by his father’s political thinking and his own immigrant story. When people ask if having famous parents helped him, Zohran is honest. “There have definitely been opportunities afforded to me,” he says. “But in local politics, I don’t think it has meant that much to the people of Astoria and Long Island City.” What matters to them, he adds, is what you actually do for the community — not who your parents are.
Activism Meets Art
After college, Mamdani looked for ways to give back. He worked for a time as a foreclosure prevention counselor in Queens, helping immigrant families avoid losing their homes. In his free time, he started getting involved in local politics. In 2015, he volunteered on a City Council campaign, and by 2017, he was helping with the grassroots run of Khader El-Yateem, a socialist pastor in Brooklyn. That campaign had a big impact on him. “It changed my life,” he later said. His ability to connect with people stood out early on.
Zohran’s path wasn’t a straight line. Around that time, he also explored music. Using the stage name “Mr. Cardamom,” he recorded a song that was a tribute to New York’s South Asian community. His music career was short, but he often says it taught him useful skills for politics. Selling CDs on the street gave him confidence. “Once you’ve done that,” he said, “it’s much easier to ask someone on a train platform to sign your petition.” For Zohran, everything he tried — from music to activism — helped him become someone who could connect with all kinds of people.
A Campaign That Knocked on Every Door
By 2019, friends and fellow organizers were encouraging Mamdani to run for office himself. New York politics was starting to change, with more immigrant and progressive voices entering the scene. Zohran stepped up. He decided to run against a four-term Democratic incumbent for the state assembly seat representing Astoria and Long Island City. He focused on everyday issues like affordable housing, better public transit, and justice reform. He and his team knocked on thousands of doors and had hundreds of conversations with neighbors.
View this post on Instagram
His message connected. In June 2020, Mamdani won. He had defeated a well-known incumbent and joined a wave of progressive candidates who were shaking up local politics. It was a major moment — one that proved people were ready for something different.
Turning Protest into Policy
Since 2021, when he became a state assembly member, Mamdani has focused on turning activist ideas into real changes. He often says politics is another way of telling stories — and he’s tried to do just that. When New York’s immigrant yellow taxi drivers were struggling with heavy debt, Zohran joined their hunger strike. His support helped lead to a city bailout that cleared over $450 million in debt.
He also launched a campaign called Fix the MTA to improve public transportation. Instead of waiting for others, he made a video explaining how to fund free bus service — and convinced the city to test it with five free routes. Whether it’s fighting against polluting power plants or pushing for better subway service, Mamdani has shown he can take ideas from protests to policy. The issues he works on — housing, transit, immigrant rights — reflect the lives of the people he represents.
Running to Represent, Not Just to Win
Now, in 2025, Zohran Mamdani is running for an even bigger role — mayor of New York City. At first, his campaign didn’t seem likely to take off. But with support from small donors and help from volunteers, it has gained real momentum. He’s raised millions of dollars and knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors. His campaign has brought fresh energy into the city’s political scene. It’s a movement built not on celebrity or big money, but on connection — one conversation, one neighborhood, one shared hope at a time.
Zohran Mamdani grew up in Kampala, moving between different cultures and identities. He saw his mother share the stories of people who often go unheard, and he chose to stand up for working-class New Yorkers. For him, this mayoral race isn’t just about politics — it’s the next step in a life built on service, community, and hope for a better future.
- Follow Zohran Mamdani on Instagram
ALSO READ | From Nova Scotia to Global Stage: Anita Anand makes history as Canada’s first Hindu foreign minister
