New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani received an enthusiastic Mexican welcome in Brooklyn after joining the Mexican Independence Day Parade, where attendees greeted him with a chant that quickly became memorable during the joyful celebration.
“¡Mamdani, hermano, ya eres mexicano!” people shouted as the mayor made his way through the parade in Sunset Park. In English, the phrase translates roughly to, “Mamdani, brother, now you’re Mexican.”
The chant was a playful expression of welcome. But for Mamdani, who marched carrying a Mexican flag and wearing a tricolor sash, it underscored the close interaction between City Hall and New York’s Mexican community during one of its biggest cultural celebrations of the year.
Zohran Mamdani joins Mexican Independence Day Parade in Brooklyn
Mamdani participated in the Mexican Independence Day Parade in Sunset Park on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Images from the event show the New York City mayor walking through Brooklyn surrounded by Mexican flags and parade participants celebrating Mexican culture, heritage and community.
Mamdani was also presented with the Grand Marshal sash for the celebration. Reporting from the event described hundreds of people gathering for the parade, which featured Mexican cultural traditions, music, dancing and national symbols.
© GC ImagesThe mayor appeared to embrace the celebration, waving a small Mexican flag and interacting with attendees as they took photos and greeted him along the route.
Mamdani’s appearance also marked a first for New York City politics. He was the first sitting New York City mayor to march in Sunset Park’s Mexican Independence Day Parade. Multiple outlets covering the event reported the same claim.
“Mamdani, hermano, ya eres mexicano” becomes the parade moment
As attendees called out, “¡Mamdani, hermano, ya eres mexicano!”, Mamdani placed a hand over his heart while holding the Mexican flag. The phrase effectively welcomed the mayor into the celebration as an honorary member of the community, at least for the day.
© AFP via Getty ImagesThe chant is an affectionate expression from parade attendees celebrating his participation. The moment also reflected the unmistakably New York character of the parade featuring a mayor with an Indian-Ugandan family background joining Mexican New Yorkers on the streets of Brooklyn to celebrate a national holiday that has become part of the city’s multicultural calendar.
What Mamdani said about Mexico and Mexican New Yorkers
Following the parade, Mamdani highlighted both the history behind Mexican Independence Day and the contributions of Mexican New Yorkers. “The fight for Mexican independence is the triumph of a people determined to shape their own future,” Mamdani wrote in a social media post following his appearance.
© AFP via Getty ImagesHe also said he was proud to participate in the Sunset Park parade and described Mexican New Yorkers as being at the heart of the city and its efforts to build a better future.
His participation came just days before September 16, when Mexico commemorates the beginning of its struggle for independence from Spain.
The parade has been held in New York since 1994 and has grown into an annual celebration of Mexican heritage. The 2026 gathering marked its 32nd edition.
Mamdani is known for attending most NYC’s parades.
© GC Images
© GC Images
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