Immigrants Built America

In an Independence Day speech, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized that the United States was built by generations of immigrants who arrived from around the world despite facing discrimination and restrictive immigration laws.

Mamdani highlighted the experiences of Irish immigrants fleeing famine, Jewish refugees escaping persecution, Italians fleeing poverty, and Syrian immigrants seeking better economic opportunities.

Criticism of Exclusionary Politics

Mamdani’s remarks came shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship protections. He argued that the American values of liberty and equality must apply to everyone and warned against political rhetoric that portrays America as belonging only to certain groups based on race, origin, or language.

He added that some political forces seek to gain power by dividing people, calling division “the oldest trick in politics.”

A Different Vision of Patriotism

Speaking to newly naturalized American citizens, Mamdani said that patriotism does not mean ignoring a country’s flaws, but rather working to improve it and defending the principles of justice and equality.

He concluded by arguing that America’s strength has never come from exclusion, but from its ability to welcome generations of immigrants who have helped shape its identity and history.