From 9/11 to Zohran Mamdani: From the ashes, a new South Asian political compact - The Indian Express
Since 2002, the Tribute in Lights, an installation consisting of 88 searchlights, has been arranged to look like two columns, bringing back the image of the Twin Towers in the night sky.
This year, the 25th anniversary of the attack that shook the lives of New Yorkers and shifted the US immigration landscape, something is different. For the first time, New York City’s mayor is a Muslim man. Zohran Mamdani’s official role, like three mayors before him, includes presiding over New York City’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony.
Over 100,000 people have expressed objection to Mamdani’s presence at the event. As a South Asian, this petition is a stark reminder of the country’s ever-present Islamophobia and a call to continue critical work to reshape the public narrative.
On September 11, 2001, the personal and professional trajectory of my life changed, as it did for many others who trace their heritage to the Subcontinent. That day, I was scheduled to begin a doctoral programme. That day, I voted for the first time, two hours before the first plane hit the South tower. That day marked one month since I had been executive director of an NGO working with youth from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Everything changed — for me, for those young people and for the city.
Almost every New Yorker knew someone who was connected to the World Trade Centre — someone who worked there, who was nearby, or who was headed there. Even if, like me, you were fortunate enough not to have known anyone who died that day, the way you viewed the city, maybe even the world, changed. In its immediate aftermath,
US immigration policy became more vindictive than ever. Most importantly, we can trace a direct path from 9/11 to the establishment of ICE, whose mission is to “protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety”.
But something else happened in the days and weeks following the attacks — the establishment or strengthening of organisations dedicated to supporting the South Asian community. Groups like the one I started, South Asian Youth Action, and others like DRUM, Families for Freedom and Chhaya CDC rallied around the community, providing immigration advice, organising against problematic government policy, helping members access critical services. In the years following, those and many other groups have increased their capacity and scope, deepening their civic engagement and political impact.
These organisations became the political home for South Asians who felt alienated or invisible. Mamdani’s own trajectory included working to prevent foreclosures and evictions at Chhaya CDC. Activism born from September 11 shaped his 2024 campaign and victory. So, it is particularly ironic that his presence at the ceremony is being challenged.
But it is also a predictable page from America’s well-worn playbook, which calls on immigrants in times of economic need and expects subservience and servitude in return. The message is familiar — stay in your place.
What’s unfamiliar and increasingly threatening is that South Asian political power is growing, not just among elites who have always had access to Congressional leaders and other decision-makers, but among everyday South Asians. The power of social media, our growing political maturity, and our frustration with being taken for granted or overlooked have created a powerful combination. We understand what’s possible when we use our voice, exercise our right to vote, and demand more than just a photo opportunity. And we have a prominent new representative in the second most powerful elected role in the US — New York City mayor Mamdani.
His presence at the 9/11 memorial event is as significant as the movement that helped elect him. Mamdani’s supporters are a broad coalition of New Yorkers who are charting a different path for this city that is more inclusive, not just of race and ethnicity, but also of class. Among those paving that road are thousands of South Asians, including elected officials like Shekhar Krishnan and Shahana Hanif. As policymakers, they represent a generation of South Asians who have been shaped by 9/11 but refuse to be defined by it. They remind us that we must never forget our responsibility to speak up, organise others and demand our place in every institution in America.
Bhojwani was the first commissioner of immigration affairs, New York City, in the months after the September 11 attacks. She is an adjunct professor and author
