TRANSCRIPT:
Members of some of Australia's multicultural communities have reacted to the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Mayoral Election this week.
The 34-year-old mayor-elect will be the city's youngest person in the role in over a century and will make history as the city's first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa.
For Democrat supporters in New York City, a new chapter in the city's life begins, after Zohran Mamdani is elected as the city's mayor.
In his victory address on Thursday, the mayor-elect vowed to bring change to the city of eight million people.
"The poetry of campaigning may have come to close last night at 9(pm), but the beautiful prose of governing has only just begun. The hard work of improving New Yorkers' lives start now."
His victory follows a series of political wins for the Democratic Party, with key elections in the United States just one year away.
Mr Mamdani will be the city's youngest mayor in more than a century, and also makes history as the city's first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa.
His victory has also been seen by some as a direct challenge to President Donald Trump, who has been a vocal critic of Mr Mamdani's policies and his Muslim heritage.
In his victory speech, Mr Mamdani had this to say about Mr Trump's attacks.
"New Yorkers are facing twin crises in this moment - an authoritarian administration and an affordability crisis - and it will be my job to deliver on both. It'll be my job to stand up for the city and also to ensure that we do not look at Washington, D.C. as if it is the reason for all of the problems right here in New York City. Many of the issues we are speaking about - they predate President Trump. They are issues that for too long we have turned a blind eye to or we have sought to rationalise or normalise."
Mr Mamdani was born in Uganda to an award-winning film director father and an academic mother.
His family settled in the U-S when he was seven years old, and he became a naturalised citizen in 2018.
Before he turned to politics, Mr Mamdani was a rapper, with his music influenced by hip-hop group Das Racist, which had two members of Indian origin who played with references and tropes from South Asia.
His victory has attracted support from some Australians of diverse backgrounds, including Pradeep Tewari-Mayor and Councillor of Maribyrnong City Council.
Speaking to SBS Hindi, Mr Tewari, who is also the first India-born mayor in Victoria, says he's deeply impressed by Mr Mamdani's story.
"His story affirms what I've always believed in that people from diverse backgrounds, immigrants, children of immigrants, communities often overlooked, they can achieve leadership roles in bring fresh perspective to public services. And I think his victory since a really powerful message of hope and ambition and it reminds us that inclusive, community-centred leadership is not just inspirational but it's practical and necessary in these times."
Mr Mamdani's campaign timeline has overlapped with anti-immigration protests in Australia, where Indian Australians were targeted through political messaging.
Nadeem Ahmed is the Founder of 'Indians in Sydney' Facebook Group and winner of New South Wales Government Community Service Award in 2024 for his work in the community.
He told SBS Hindi that Mr Mamdani's win is about unity for the people of New York City.
"If you look at the campaign of Zohran, he (wasn't) supported as an Indian or a South Asian community, he's support(ed) as (a) New Yorker. He presented himself as an American, and the campaign was not divisive. The campaign was around day-to-day issue which are faced by the New Yorkers. And you can see the result, out of two million votes, he got fifty percent of the votes."
Mr Mamdanis' policies centre on making New York affordable, including more rent control, free day care and buses, and city-run neighbourhood grocery stores.
Dr Ashak Nathwani is a Gujarati Muslim who migrated from Uganda to Australia.
He told SBS Gujarati that it's the value of social justice in Mr Mamdani's campaign that helped him secure the win.
"This milestone is not only a proud moment of the Uganda and Indian diasporas where his origins are from, but also a powerful reminder of how determination, values and a vision of social justice can transcend borders and generations. He's been extremely active in promoting social justice, and this is the highlight of his achievement."
