New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from an Italian American heritage group after Little Italy was left off a city immigrant-neighborhood map tied to a World Cup tourism campaign. The map, titled "New York City Immigrant Enclaves," is being promoted as part of the city's NYC Neighborhood Passport campaign.
The Italian American Civil Rights League (IACRL) has written to express their outrage, stating that the omission is an insult to the community that helped build New York. The group, which has previously clashed with Mayor Mamdani, claims that the mayor wants to "ERASE Italian Americans."
The map, which was created by the NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs in 2023, highlights 30 diverse neighborhoods, including Chinatown, Little Palestine, and Little Haiti, but does not mention any Jewish or Irish neighborhoods. The IACRL is calling on the mayor to recognize the contributions of Italian Americans to the city.
More than 4 million Italians immigrated to the United States between the 1880s and 1924, and roughly one-third settled in New York City, making Italians the city's largest immigrant community in the early 20th century. The IACRL believes that Little Italy is "sacred ground" and should be recognized as such.
The mayor has been a vocal supporter of immigrant rights and has advocated for Palestinian rights, but the IACRL claims that he has ignored the needs and contributions of Italian Americans. The group is calling on the mayor to take action to address their concerns.
The controversy comes as the city prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is promoting its NYC Neighborhood Passport campaign. The campaign aims to encourage visitors to explore the city's diverse neighborhoods, but the IACRL believes that it has fallen short by ignoring the contributions of Italian Americans.
