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Nabilah Islam Parkes, a Muslim-American senator from Georgia, shared a playful moment with her mother after Zohran Mamdani made history by winning the mayoral race in New York. The 34-year-old democratic socialist became the first Muslim to lead the city, overtaking former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“My mom: why can’t you be Mayor like Zohran?” Parkes tweeted, noting her mother once dismissed her role as a state senator as “not good enough.” She admitted that the comment irritated her at first but ultimately made her smile.
“It’s not difficult to disappoint Brown parents,” she joked, “but this time it made me smile because now our parents can finally see us become the people they were told we could never be.”
Her post struck a chord on social media, especially within South Asian and Muslim communities, where children of immigrants often confront similar familial expectations. Born in Uganda, Mamdani moved to the U.S. in 1998 at age 7 and gained U.S. citizenship in 2018.
His victory was seen as one of the most anticipated elections in New York in years. Over two million residents cast their votes—the highest turnout in more than fifty years—giving Mamdani a lead of approximately 9%.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani faced intense criticism from conservative media and President Donald Trump, largely due to his policies and Muslim background. His success has inspired pride among immigrant families across the U.S. and abroad.
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