Our Bureau
New York, NY
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used his address marking the 250th anniversary of American independence to celebrate the nation’s immigrant heritage while urging Americans to renew their commitment to equality, democracy 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 quincentennial offered Americans an opportunity not only to celebrate the country’s achievements but also to examine its shortcomings and recommit themselves to the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
“Two hundred and fifty years presents a rare opportunity for more than 340 million people to turn together—both towards one another and towards ourselves, to take measure of who we are as a nation,” he said.
Tracing New York City’s evolution from Indigenous Lenape settlements through waves of European exploration and immigration, Mamdani described the city as a symbol of America’s promise of renewal. He noted that while generations of immigrants encountered discrimination, poverty and exclusion, they nevertheless helped build the nation’s largest city.
The mayor recalled pivotal moments in American history, including the Revolutionary War, when George Washington’s forces retreated across the East River after the Battle of Brooklyn, preserving the Continental Army and keeping alive the struggle for independence.
He also highlighted the story of James Weeks, a formerly enslaved Black American who established the historic Weeksville community in Brooklyn after New York abolished slavery, calling it an example of how ordinary people shaped the nation’s future.
Mamdani paid tribute to the many immigrant communities that arrived in New York over the centuries, including Irish, Chinese, Jewish, Italian, Syrian, West Indian, South Asian and West African migrants. Despite facing restrictive immigration laws, prejudice and economic hardship, they transformed the city into one of the world’s most diverse metropolitan centers, he said.
Reflecting on his own journey, Mamdani, who immigrated to the United States with his family as a child and later became a naturalized American citizen, said America’s strength lies not in military or economic power alone but in its ability to continually expand opportunity.
“The truth… is that America is exceptional because here, nothing is fixed into place,” he said, encouraging newly naturalized citizens attending the ceremony to help define the country’s future.
The mayor also used the occasion to criticize what he described as growing inequality and policies rooted in exclusion. He warned against efforts to divide Americans based on race, religion, immigration status or background, arguing that such politics contradict the nation’s founding principles.
Without naming specific political leaders, Mamdani condemned anti-immigrant rhetoric and criticized immigration enforcement practices that he said have created fear in immigrant communities. He also spoke out against widening economic inequality, corporate influence in politics and what he described as an erosion of democratic values.
At the same time, he praised ordinary Americans—from healthcare workers and parents to voters and community volunteers—for embodying the country’s highest ideals through acts of service, civic participation and solidarity.
Responding to the common refrain of “love it or leave it,” Mamdani argued that patriotism requires confronting the nation’s flaws rather than ignoring them.
“Patriotism has never been about pretending our nation is without flaws,” he said, adding that the country’s progress has always been driven by those willing to challenge injustice.
Concluding his remarks, the mayor revisited the events of July 1776, when George Washington had the Declaration of Independence read aloud to New Yorkers as British forces prepared to invade the city. He said that despite the uncertainty of that moment, Americans united around the ideals of liberty and self-government.
“As America celebrates 250 years of independence, those founding ideals remain strong enough to withstand any challenge,” Mamdani said, urging citizens to continue striving toward a more perfect union and a nation that lives up to its founding promise.
