

Socialist Zohran Mamdani identified as Asian and 'African American' on his college application, according to the New York Times.
According to the NYT, Mamdani made the claim as a senior in high school in 2009 while applying to Columbia.
When asked about his race, Mamdani checked "Asian" and "Black or African American," which would have likely made his odds higher of getting into the school.
Both of Mamdani's parents are of Indian descent.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, in East Africa. He came to the United States when he was seven.
He didn't become a U.S. citizen until 2018, years after he checked the "Black or African American" box.
Mamdani has responded to the New York Times report, claiming he checked the box because it was "an attempt to represent his complex background given the limited choices before him..."
During his recent interview with NPR (video below), Mamdani self-identified as a "South Asian elected official" and a "Muslim elected official."