Thousands of Pakistani-Americans filled Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn on Sunday as the Allama Iqbal Community Center (AICC) held its 26th annual Independence Day Mela, marking Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day. Families, children and elders turned out in green and white, waving flags and dancing to bhangra as food, clothing and jewellry stalls lined the avenue.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, joined the celebration and was greeted warmly by the crowd. AICC chairman Malik Nasir Awan and youth wing director Hassan Nasir Awan welcomed him on arrival, alongside Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Faiza Ali, and Taxi and Limousine Commission chair Midori Valdivia.
In remarks at the event, Mamdani thanked the community for its welcome and credited Pakistani New Yorkers’ resilience and ambition with helping build the city. Sharing the moment on X, he wrote that he had gathered with residents to commemorate Pakistan’s Independence Day and recognise what Pakistani New Yorkers have given the city over the years.
Yesterday, I gathered with residents at the Allama Iqbal Community Center’s Mela to commemorate Pakistan’s Independence Day and honor the contributions Pakistani New Yorkers have made to our city.
Today and everyday, we celebrate this community whose open arms, determination,… pic.twitter.com/LpcenigAJd
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) August 10, 2026The gathering underscored how deeply rooted the Pakistani diaspora has become in one of the world’s most diverse cities, with the community’s footprint now spanning business, healthcare, education, public service, technology and the arts.
The AICC itself has anchored this presence since 2008, when community members founded it as a platform for support and development. Nearly two decades on, it runs programmes well beyond the annual festival: youth advocacy, food drives, refugee assistance, job training and broader social services for Pakistani families across New York.
The Mela closed with organisers presenting certificates of appreciation to the volunteers and staff who had helped stage the festival. For the diaspora, moments like Sunday’s carry a dual purpose — giving younger generations a tangible link to a homeland many have never lived in, while also placing that heritage on full display for the wider city. As Pakistan marks August 14 at home, its diaspora in New York offered a reminder that the day is celebrated far beyond its borders, carried forward by communities that continue to pass it on.
