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    North                       The Indian Eye

                              AMERICANNewsline

             24                                                                                                                   JULY 10, 2026

                               Mayor Mamdani Marks

             America’s 250th Anniversary with

                      Call for Inclusive Democracy

            OUR BUREAU
            New York, NY
                   ew York City Mayor Zohran
                  Mamdani used his address
            Nmarking  the  250th  anniver-
            sary of American independence to
            celebrate the nation’s immigrant heri-
            tage while urging Americans to renew
            their commitment to equality, democ-
            racy and inclusion.
                Speaking  from  City  Hall  ahead
            of the Fourth of July celebrations,
            Mamdani  reflected  on  the  nation’s
            history, describing the United States
            as an ongoing “grand experiment in
            self-governance”  that  continues  to
            evolve  through  the  contributions  of
            successive generations of immigrants
            and citizens.
                The mayor said the semi quin-
            centennial offered Americans an op-
            portunity not only to celebrate the   for independence.             exceptional because here, nothing is   through acts of service, civic participa-
            country’s achievements but also to ex-  He  also  highlighted  the  story  of   fixed into place,” he said, encouraging   tion and solidarity.
            amine its shortcomings and recommit   James Weeks, a formerly enslaved Black   newly  naturalized  citizens  attending   Responding  to  the  common  re-
            themselves to the ideals enshrined in   American who established the historic   the ceremony to help define the coun-  frain of “love it or leave it,” Mamdani
            the Declaration of Independence.  Weeksville community in Brooklyn   try’s future.                    argued  that  patriotism  requires  con-
               “Two hundred and fifty years pres-  after  New  York  abolished  slavery,   The mayor also used the occasion   fronting the nation’s flaws rather than
            ents a rare opportunity for more than   calling it an example of how ordinary   to criticize what he described as grow-  ignoring them.
            340  million  people  to  turn  togeth-  people shaped the nation’s future.  ing inequality and policies rooted in   “Patriotism has never been about
            er—both towards one another and       Mamdani paid tribute to the   exclusion. He warned against efforts   pretending  our  nation  is  without
            towards ourselves, to take measure of   many immigrant communities that ar-  to divide Americans based on race,  flaws,” he said, adding that the coun-
            who we are as a nation,” he said.   rived in New York over the centuries,  religion,  immigration  status  or  back-  try’s progress has always been driven
                Tracing New York City’s evolution   including Irish, Chinese, Jewish, Ital-  ground, arguing that such politics con-  by those willing to challenge injustice.
            from Indigenous Lenape settlements   ian, Syrian, West Indian, South Asian   tradict the nation’s founding principles.  Concluding his remarks, the may-
            through  waves  of  European  explora-  and  West  African  migrants.  Despite   Without naming specific political   or revisited the events of July 1776,
            tion  and  immigration,  Mamdani  de-  facing  restrictive  immigration  laws,  leaders, Mamdani condemned an-  when  George  Washington  had  the
            scribed the city as a symbol of Amer-  prejudice and economic hardship,  ti-immigrant  rhetoric  and  criticized   Declaration of Independence read
            ica’s promise of renewal. He noted   they transformed the city into one of   immigration  enforcement  practices   aloud to New Yorkers as British forc-
            that while generations of immigrants   the world’s most diverse metropolitan   that he said have created fear in immi-  es prepared to invade the city. He said
            encountered discrimination, pover-  centers, he said.               grant communities. He also spoke out   that despite the uncertainty of that mo-
            ty and exclusion, they nevertheless   Reflecting  on  his  own  journey,  against widening economic inequality,  ment, Americans united around the
            helped build the nation’s largest city.  Mamdani,  who  immigrated  to  the   corporate  influence  in  politics  and   ideals of liberty and self-government.
                The mayor recalled pivotal mo-  United States with his family as a child   what he described as an erosion of   “As America celebrates 250 years
            ments in American history, including   and later became a naturalized Amer-  democratic values.       of independence, those founding ide-
            the Revolutionary War, when George   ican  citizen,  said  America’s  strength   At the same time, he praised   als remain strong enough to withstand
            Washington’s  forces  retreated  across   lies not in military or economic power   ordinary Americans—from health-  any challenge,” Mamdani said, urging
            the East River after the Battle of   alone but in its ability to continually   care  workers  and  parents  to  voters   citizens to continue striving toward a
            Brooklyn, preserving the Continental   expand opportunity.          and community volunteers—for em-  more perfect union and a nation that
            Army  and  keeping  alive  the  struggle   “The truth... is that America is   bodying  the  country’s  highest  ideals   lives up to its founding promise

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