When Rama Duwaji walked into New York City Hall earlier this year wearing a white gown with knee-high boots, she had no entourage, no elaborate ceremony, just flowers in one hand and her husband Zohran Mamdani’s hand in the other.
Months later, the intimate simplicity of that February civil ceremony would contrast sharply with the bright lights of Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater, where she stood proudly as her husband delivered his victory speech as New York City’s mayor-elect.
At 28 years old, Duwaji will become the first lady of New York City on January 1, 2026, marking her as the first member of Gen Z to serve in this role. But beyond the historic milestones, Duwaji’s journey from Damascus to Dubai to the heart of American politics reflects a uniquely Arab-American experience.
Rama Duwaji’s Damascus Roots and Complex Arab-American Identity
Born on June 30, 1997, in Houston, Texas, to Syrian Muslim parents from Damascus, Duwaji’s father is a software developer and her mother a doctor. The family moved to Dubai when she was nine years old, where she spent her formative years navigating the complexities of cultural identity.
In a revealing 2019 interview with Shado Magazine, Duwaji explained that she only became proud of her Syrian heritage after moving to the United States in 2016.
“I was living in the GCC for 10 years as the Amreekiya, the American (I’m fully Syrian, but I had lighter hair at the time, had ‘Western’ ideas, and couldn’t speak Arabic as fluently),” she shared.
“But when I got to America, I realized I definitely was not really American in the typical sense either, I just couldn’t relate.”
This cultural in-betweenness shaped her artistic voice: “My sense of identity took a hit, so I think I kind of clung to my Middle Eastern identity, whatever that is. It’s not inherently Syrian nor Emirati, but whatever it is, it definitely influenced my work in a major way.”
Duwaji’s illustrations often explore Arab culture and focus on social justice in the Middle East, particularly women’s rights, while also depicting scenes of daily life. Her work has appeared in prestigious publications, including The New Yorker and The Washington Post, as well as collaborations with BBC, Apple, Spotify, and London’s Tate Modern.
In an April interview with YUNG, Duwaji described her creative philosophy: “These days, I focus on making art about my experiences and the things I care about, and the community that forms from conversations about my work, both online and in person, happens organically.”
Her academic journey took her from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar to Richmond, Virginia, before she moved to New York City in 2021 to study illustration as a visual essay at the School of Visual Arts, earning her Master of Fine Arts in 2024.
Behind the Scenes: Rama Duwaji Shapes Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Identity
While Duwaji maintained a deliberately low profile during the mayoral campaign, her influence was unmistakable. She helped finalize the campaign’s brand identity and worked on the final version of the campaign’s iconography and font, which showcases a distinct blend of colors: Metrocard orange-yellow, New York Mets blue, and splashes of firehouse red. Mamdani also credits Duwaji with improving the campaign’s digital sensibilities.
The Couple: Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji’s Journey from Hinge to Gracie Mansion
The couple met on the dating app Hinge, got engaged in October 2024, held a private nikah ceremony two months later, and married in a civil ceremony in February 2025. They also had a ceremony in Uganda, Mamdani’s birth country, in July 2025.
As she prepares to step into Gracie Mansion, Duwaji represents a new generation of Arab-American women, confident in her cultural heritage, unapologetic about her artistic vision, and ready to redefine what a First Lady can be. In Mamdani’s words, “Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.”
