Mamdani’s mother in unearthed 2013 interview: ‘He is not an American at all’
In a revealing interview from 2013, filmmaker Mira Nair discussed her son, Zohran Mamdani, who is currently running as a socialist candidate for mayor in New York City. At the time, Mamdani was a 21-year-old student at Bowdoin College, where he was actively involved in political activism, notably co-founding the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. Nair’s comments, in which she described her son as “not an American at all” and referred to him as a “total desi,” have resurfaced amid his campaign, prompting discussions about identity and belonging. Nair emphasized that her son, born in Uganda and raised in a multicultural environment between India and the U.S., identifies more with his heritage than with American culture, stating, “He thinks of himself as a Ugandan and as an Indian.”
The term “firang,” used by Nair to describe her son, is often interpreted as derogatory towards Westerners, which has sparked criticism from commentators like Mehek Cooke. Cooke argued that using such terminology towards one’s own child, who has been raised in the U.S., reflects a rejection of American values and a lack of gratitude for the opportunities provided by the country. She contended that Mamdani’s upbringing, coupled with his mother’s sentiments, sends a troubling message about loyalty and belonging, especially in the context of his political aspirations. Mamdani, who became a U.S. citizen in 2018, has faced scrutiny not only for his political views—especially his stance on Israel—but also for how his identity is perceived in the public sphere. This scrutiny is compounded by his father’s controversial statements regarding historical figures and his involvement with anti-Israel organizations.
As Mamdani’s campaign progresses, the discourse surrounding his identity and the implications of his upbringing continue to resonate. Nair’s remarks may reflect a broader narrative about the complexities of immigrant identity in America, particularly for those engaged in political activism. The juxtaposition of Mamdani’s dual citizenship and his mother’s dismissive comments about American identity raises important questions about the nature of belonging, cultural pride, and the responsibilities that come with enjoying the freedoms and opportunities of living in the United States. As political tensions rise, the conversation about Mamdani’s identity underscores a significant aspect of American politics today, where the intersection of culture, identity, and political ideology remains a contentious battleground.
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FIRST ON FOX:
The mother of New York City socialist mayoral candidate
Zohran Mamdani
gave an interview when he was a 21-year-old American college student discussing how her son is “not an American at all” while using terminology that some view as derogatory toward the United States.
“He is a total desi,” filmmaker Mira Nair
told the Hindustan Times
in a 2013 interview, when her son Zohran was 21 years old. At the time, Mamdani was attending Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and was
pushing for academic sanctions
against Israel.
“Completely. We are not firangs at all. He is very much us. He is not an Uhmericcan (American) at all. He was born in Uganda, raised between India and America. He is at home in many places. He thinks of himself as a Ugandan and as an Indian.”
In Hindi and Urdu, “firang” is an informal term historically used to describe foreigners or Westerners.
‘ABSOLUTELY A COMMUNIST’: MAMDANI DODGES LABEL, BUT HIS RECORD AND EXPERT SAY OTHERWISE
But Mehek Cooke, an attorney born in India who serves as a GOP consultant and commentator, told Fox News Digital that the word is not “some harmless cultural term,” but rather a “slur.”
“It’s the word used back in India to mock outsiders, to say you don’t belong,” Cooke said. “Using it here about your own child raised in the United States carries the same tone as calling someone a derogatory word — or worse. It’s flippant, divisive, and dripping with contempt for the very country that gave your family a better life.”
Cooke added, “When Mamdani’s mother says her son was ‘never a firang and only desi,’ it’s a rejection of America. It’s ungrateful, disrespectful, and frankly repulsive to live in this country since age seven, receive every freedom, education, and opportunity America offers, and still deny being American.”
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and moved to the United States at age 7, holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Uganda, and was naturalized as an American in 2018.
Nair went on to emphasize in the interview, “we only speak Hindustani at home” and described her son as a “very chaalu fellow,” using a term that is often translated to mean savvy or street smart.
“He’s his own person,” Mamdani’s Columbia University professor father, Mahmood, told The New York Times in an
interview earlier this year
headlined, “The Parents Who Helped Shape Zohran Mamdani’s Politics.”
Mahmood Mamdani added, “Now, of course, what we do as his parents is part of the environment in which he grew up, and he couldn’t help but engage with it. That doesn’t mean anything is reflected back on us.”
“I don’t agree!” Nair interjected in the interview. “Of course the world we live in, and what we write and film and think about, is the world that Zohran has very much absorbed.”
HOUSE REPUBLICAN DEMANDS ZOHRAN MAMDANI BE STRIPPED OF CITIZENSHIP, DEPORTED OVER ‘ANTI-ISRAEL’ STANCE
Mahmood Mamdani’s positions have faced heavy criticism on social media, particularly his stance on Israel and
opposition to “settler colonialism,”
highlighted by his
position on the advisory council
of an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel and routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing “genocide.”
In recent days, a video of Mahmood Mamdani claiming that Adolf Hitler was inspired by Abraham Lincoln, which Fox News digital
reported on in July
, has resurfaced on social media, racking up millions of views.
Earlier this year, during a controversy over Mamdani identifying as “Black or African American” on a college application, Mamdani
told The New York Times
he identifies as “an American who was born in Africa.”
“This isn’t just about identity, it’s about values,” Cooke told Fox News Digital. “Rejecting the label of ‘American’ while living under the flag, enjoying the freedoms, and cashing in on the opportunities is a rejection of American values themselves: gratitude, unity, and pride in country.”
“And if you raise your child to believe he was ‘never a firang,’ never an American, what message are you sending? That he owes nothing to this nation? That he can take the benefits without any sense of belonging or loyalty? That mindset breeds resentment. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing play out in politics today.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Nair and the Mamdani campaign for comment.
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Nair, a highly respected filmmaker in India, seemed to predict a life in politics was in store for her son during the Hindustan Times interview, saying she doesn’t want him to follow in her footsteps but instead pursue his interests.
“No, no, he should do whatever he wants to do,” Nair said. “I don’t see it in him to make movies. He is very involved with current affairs, politics, and political issues. I think he can be engaged in the world in someway to make a difference. He is very, very interested in that.”
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
