Mamdani defends controversial NYC map after omitting iconic Little Italy, Jewish and Irish neighborhoods
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended a controversial city map highlighting immigrant enclaves on Friday, saying it was never intended to be comprehensive and hopeful updates following criticism over the neglect of Little Italy.
In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, the Mayor pointed to remarks Mamdani made at an unrelated press conference on Friday in which he said the map was created in 2023 under the previous administration.
“This map was first created by the previous administration in 2023, and when we took it over, we added a few more neighborhoods,” Mamdani said. he said. “This is not a comprehensive list of the more than 200 ethnic communities that call our city home, and we will be making additional changes in the future to reflect this, including Little Italy.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at the pre-visit party for congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026 in Brooklyn.
The “New York City Immigrant Settlements” map resurfaced on social media this week after users pointed out that although it highlighted 30 immigrant communities in the five boroughs, it did not include Little Italy as well as Jewish and Irish neighborhoods. The map is part of the city’s Neighborhood Passport campaign. 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The omission prompted criticism from the Italian American Civil Liberties Union (IACRL), which accused the administration of erasing one of the communities that helped. Build New York.
The group wrote to
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“Mamdani City Hall can find room for every trendy progressive voter, but somehow it can’t find Little Italy,” IACRL President Mike Crispi said in a statement. he said.
The controversy also drew ire from Republican New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino; He himself had mocked the map in an X post, joking that he had renamed the northeastern Queens area “Little America.”
“Here we welcome refugees from the rest of the city who want to live in a culture reminiscent of the nation they once knew as the United States,” Paladino wrote.
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Manhattan’s Little Italy was removed from the map of New York City’s immigrant district, sparking backlash before Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the neighborhood would be added.
New York City Tourism + Conventions previously told Fox News Digital that the map was created in 2023 by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Mamdani said his administration has added several neighborhoods since taking office and plans to make additional revisions, including the addition of Little Italy.
According to the Library of Congress, more than one 4 million Italians They emigrated to the United States between the 1880s and 1924, and roughly one-third settled in New York.
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The Italian American Civil Liberties Union did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
Original article source: Mamdani defends controversial NYC map after removing iconic Little Italy, Jewish and Irish neighborhoods
