Mamdani ‘Immigrant Map’ Omits Irish, Italian, and Jewish Contributions to New York City

New Yorkers are criticizing socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration for touting a map celebrating the city’s “immigrant enclaves” that omits the Italian, Irish, and Jewish communities that have been such integral parts of the Big Apple’s history.

Mamdani’s deputies promoted a new campaign in May to celebrate the city’s ethnic neighborhoods with a map entitled “New York City Immigrant Enclaves” that features 30 communities, including a number of Muslim communities, such as Yemeni, Pakistani, Egyptian, African, and Palestinian neighborhoods. Also represented are Chinese, Korean, Albanian, Colombian, Dominican, Ecuadoran, Indian, Haitian, Polish, and other neighborhoods.

But critics are ripping the map for ignoring European neighborhoods that were the original “Littles” such as Little Italy, or the long-standing Irish and Jewish neighborhoods that helped build New York City throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola ripped City Hall for the exclusionary graphic and told the New York Post that it appears Mamdani doesn’t think Jews, Italians, and Irish count, the Post reported.

“They were able to get a Little Bhod-Tibet in there, but what about the original ‘Little neighborhood,’ Little Italy?” Councilwoman Ariola asked. “And what about areas like Woodlawn, in the Bronx, which are home to plenty of Irish immigrants? Do the Irish and Italians not count for the Mayor’s office?”

State Assemblyman Kalman Yeger bashed Mamdani for “erasing” Jews. And he added, “Mr. Mamdani’s erasing Jews is an essential part of his brand. No surprise.”

Joseph Scelsa, founder of the Italian-American Museum on Mulberry Street, said the mayor’s map is a “terrible mistake.”

“Italian-Americans are still a major population in New York City. To not recognize where Italian-Americans came from and settled is a terrible mistake. I don’t understand why Little Italy isn’t included. I hope it’s an oversight,” Scelsa said.

“The Mayor’s Office made a map of NYC’s immigrant enclaves: Little Africa, Little Poland, Little Palestine. But they just couldn’t figure out how to represent 11% of the city. Couldn’t decipher where the Jews are from,” Jewish writer Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt lamented in a post on X.

Manhattan Institute writer Christopher Rufo noted that Mamdani has advocated erasing Italian heritage in the past.

Former L.A. Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt accused Mamdani of “deliberate subversion” by ignoring the Italians, Jews, and Irish.

Responding to the attacks, the mayor’s office attempted to make a distinction between “religious” enclaves and ethnic neighborhoods. The mayor’s rep said the map “does not highlight religious groups,” and insisted that the mayor’s campaign “highlights neighborhoods in New York City that have substantial foreign-born populations from regions and countries around the world.”

The mayor’s office also said that the map is supposed to be a guide for tourists and explained that the “immigrant enclave series began during the [Eric] Adams administration.” Also, more neighborhoods will be added “in the upcoming months.”

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