Web desk: Rama Duwaji will become the youngest first lady in New York City’s history, after her husband, Zohran Mamdani, won the mayoral election on Tuesday night.
Zohran Mamdani made history as New York City’s first Muslim mayor. While his 28-year-old wife, Syrian-American illustrator Rama Duwaji, became the city’s first Gen-Z first lady.
Her brave support for Palestine has been highlighted by many, but it has been even more visible in the young artists’ work and outfits.
On election night, Duwaji stood out in an embroidered top by Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zeid Hijazi, known for mixing Palestinian folklore, rebellion, and Arab futurism.
Who is Rama Duwaji?
She was born in Houston and lived in Texas until her family moved to Dubai when she was nine. Reports say she studied briefly at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar before moving to the Richmond campus to complete her degree.
Duwaji and Mamdani met on a dating app in 2021, and their first date was at Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop in Brooklyn, CNN reported. They later married in a courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
At just 28, Duwaji will be the first member of Gen Z to move into the official mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion, if the couple choose to live there.
Rama Duwaji’s Religion
Duwaji keeps her personal life mostly private on social media, and little is known about her family in Dubai. But according to reports, she is Muslim.
Rama Duwaji’s Artwork
Duwaji’s artwork often celebrates women of colour, focusing on their individuality, beauty, and personal stories.
She uses her art to address current issues and support marginalised communities, especially in the Arab world.
She has also been open about her support for Palestine. In 2021, she shared an illustration showing three people standing together, joining elbows. The words “we won’t leave” were written across the image in Arabic.
“In solidarity with Palestine and the families of Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood who are facing displacement from their own homes, a literal ethnic cleansing,” she said in the post.
During his victory speech, Mamdani had a special message for his wife standing beside him.
“And to my incredible wife, Rama, hayati,” he said, using the Arabic word for “my life”. “There is no one I would rather have by my side in this moment, and in every moment.”
Duwaji is a New York-based artist with Syrian roots whose work often explores Middle Eastern themes.
Her artwork has been featured by BBC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vice, and London’s Tate Modern museum, and do not need the reference of her husband to be acknowledged.
“Rama isn’t just my wife; she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms,” Mamdani wrote in a post.
Zohran Mamdanis’ Parents’ Nationality
Zohran Mamdani’s parents are both of Indian origin. His mother, Mira Nair, is a renowned Indian filmmaker.
His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a distinguished academic and professor who was born to Indian parents and raised in Uganda. Zohran Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and became a naturalised US citizen in 2018.
