Overview

• The New York Times published hacked admissions data showing Mamdani checked both “Asian” and “Black or African American” and wrote “Ugandan” on his 2009 Columbia application.
• Mayor Eric Adams labeled the dual race selection “possibly fraudulent” and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned it could be “just the tip of the iceberg,” urging a full probe.
• Mamdani defended his choices as an attempt to capture his Indian-Ugandan-American background and said he identifies as “an American who was born in Africa,” not as Black.
• Some Black New Yorkers denounced the claim as a “fraud” and “trickster” tactic, while others said his complex heritage justified multiple selections.
• The New York Times outlined its vetting of the anonymous hack source, prompting scrutiny of journalistic ethics in reporting on leaked university records.