ALBAWABA - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently took to social media with a video where he spoke fluent Mandarin to promote free Broadway tickets for local high school students.
The mayor of Indian and Ugandan descent is known for his multilingual skills, which he showcased on multiple occasions during his political campaigns. He speaks fluent English, Hindi, and Urdu and previously spoke Arabic, Spanish, and Luganda due to his upbringing.
Video: Does NYC Mayor Mamdani speak Mandarin?
This time, it seems Mamdani added a new language to his toolkit when he appeared speaking fluent Mandarin in a video promoting free Broadway tickets for local high school students, in collaboration with the Theatre Development Fund.
The collaboration is set to distribute over 2,000 free tickets through a local lottery system. The mayor recently announced the partnership and said, "People come to New York City from all over the world to experience Broadway. The kids who grow up here should be able to do the same. We’re partnering with @TDFNYC to give away over 2,000 free Broadway tickets to NYC High School students through a free-to-enter lottery. Break a leg, high schoolers! Enter the lottery now," followed by a link for people to sign up.
Mamdani's efforts drew praise among New York locals and his international audience:
"Wow. I'm amazed. Your pronunciation is incredible...is there anything this man can't do?! How many languages does he speak?! Mandarin was not on my bingo card."
"As a Chinese Amer, it’s amazing how I understood clearly … absolutely nothing except The Theatre Development Fund."
