New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration is facing criticism for celebrating the city’s “immigrant enclaves” while excluding the Italian, Irish and Jewish communities that have played such a central role in the history of the Big Apple.

A map published in May entitled “New York City Immigrant Enclaves” highlights 30 local communities, and with an Islamist socialist at the helm, it includes a number of Muslim communities, such as Yemeni, Pakistani, Egyptian, African and Palestinian neighbourhoods.

The map also features Chinese, Korean, Albanian, Colombian, Dominican, Ecuadorian, Indian, Haitian, Polish and other neighbourhoods in celebration of New York’s immigrant heritage. But not every type of immigrant is recognised, writes the New York Post.

Critics have lambasted the map for omitting the European neighbourhoods that were the original “Littles”, such as Little Italy, as well as the long-established Irish and Jewish neighbourhoods that helped build New York City during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Mayor Mamdani’s map of NYC immigrant neighborhoods sparks outrage for ignoring Little Italy: ‘Terrible mistake’ https://t.co/dR97RS7CPz pic.twitter.com/dKvqap5K2a

— New York Post (@nypost) July 8, 2026

New York City Council’s Italian Caucus responded by demanding that Mamdani amend the map, which omitted Little Italy and other Italian-American communities across the city’s five boroughs.

“You cannot tell the story of immigrant New York without mentioning one of the city’s best-known and historically significant immigrant communities.”

The Italian Caucus described the omission as “at best incomplete and at worst insulting”.

Queens City Council Member Joann Ariola (R) criticised City Hall over the exclusionary graphic, telling The Post that it appeared Mamdani did not believe Jews, Italians and Irish people counted.

“They managed to include a Little Bhod-Tibet, but what about the original ‘Little’ neighbourhood, Little Italy? And what about areas like Woodlawn in the Bronx, where many Irish immigrants live? Don’t the Irish and Italians count to the Mayor’s Office?”

State Assembly Member Kalman Yeger criticised Mamdani for “erasing” Jews from the map.

“Mamdani erasing Jews is a defining part of his profile. It comes as no surprise.”

Jews have a long and extensive history in America’s largest city. Around 1.2 million Jews live in New York today.

Christopher Rufo, a writer at the Manhattan Institute, pointed out that Mamdani has previously advocated erasing Italian cultural heritage. During the Black Lives Matter period, Mamdani called on violent rioters to tear down the statue of Christopher Columbus.

Mamdani has always had a seething hatred for Italians. Here’s a post from the George Floyd era calling to take down a statue of Columbus. The hatred of Italians is the hatred of beauty, culture, exploration, and genius—which is unbearable for many DSA dirtbags. pic.twitter.com/TvVE2M79K5

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@christopherrufo) July 9, 2026

In response to the criticism, the Mayor’s Office attempted to distinguish between “religious” enclaves and ethnic neighbourhoods. Mamdani’s spokesperson said the map “does not highlight religious groups” and stressed that the mayor’s campaign “highlights New York City neighbourhoods with significant populations of foreign-born residents from regions and countries around the world”.

The Mayor’s Office also stated that the map is intended as a guide for tourists, explaining that “the immigrant enclaves series was launched under the administration of [Eric] Adams”. In addition, more neighbourhoods will be added “over the coming months”.

But if you are a tourist who prefers pizza to kebab, Mamdani’s map is unlikely to be of much help.