Why Indian-origin Mamdani identified as African-American in his college application

 On the surface, it sounds like an act of calculated advantage-seeking. After all, Columbia, like most elite universities then, ran race-conscious admissions. Identifying as Black might have increased his chances in a system designed to redress centuries of racial exclusion. Critics, including Mayor Eric Adams, quickly pounced, calling it “an insult to every student who got into college the right way.” On the surface, it sounds like an act of calculated advantage-seeking. After all, Columbia, like most elite universities then, ran race-conscious admissions. Identifying as Black might have increased his chances in a system designed to redress centuries of racial exclusion. Critics, including Mayor Eric Adams, quickly pounced, calling it “an insult to every student who got into college the right way.”