When I was young, my extended family was just a doorstep or rickshaw, three-wheeled bicycle, away. Now, it is unfortunately an expensive 23-hour flight, bus and boat ride away. There are significant financial barriers so the conversation of an upcoming family trip to Bangladesh is often light humor. After my family and I immigrated to the United States, I returned once in the summer of 2005. There were connecting flights from London, Dubai, and finally to Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital. I lived in the populous urban city of Dhaka and the jackfruit-filled, countryside in Bagerhat. My best memories include the richness of the food and the friendliness of the people. There was no refrigeration so food was cooked daily. Everything was boiled and washed.
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The people of the country are building bridges, literally and figuratively. They build bridges so students can cross rivers to get to school. There are pieces of rural Bangladesh where girls have less access to school, but the will power is present. They are building figurative bridges for more girls to go to school through gender empowerment. I appreciate the initiative since the feminist movement is constantly struck down in countries that are building their capacity. In conclusion, today, I am as much Bengali as I am American. The privilege of knowing the living conditions in countries like Bangladesh, and being raised in the United States always add fuel in my fight for social justice among underserved communities. Underserved communities face similar challenges in United States as those in Bangladesh. For example, public assistance has failed them or does not reach them. Those who have lower socioeconomic status are marginalized in both countries and face adverse health outcomes as a result. I pursue research so I can give back to these communities through informing policies. My hope is that the policy changes will trickle down to the individual level and rewrite what it means to be a person of color (or of darker complexion in Bangladesh). Thanks to my experience in Bangladesh, I enjoy both halves of my identity and am
The people of the country are building bridges, literally and figuratively. They build bridges so students can cross rivers to get to school. There are pieces of rural Bangladesh where girls have less access to school, but the will power is present. They are building figurative bridges for more girls to go to school through gender empowerment. I appreciate the initiative since the feminist movement is constantly struck down in countries that are building their capacity. In conclusion, today, I am as much Bengali as I am American. The privilege of knowing the living conditions in countries like Bangladesh, and being raised in the United States always add fuel in my fight for social justice among underserved communities. Underserved communities face similar challenges in United States as those in Bangladesh. For example, public assistance has failed them or does not reach them. Those who have lower socioeconomic status are marginalized in both countries and face adverse health outcomes as a result. I pursue research so I can give back to these communities through informing policies. My hope is that the policy changes will trickle down to the individual level and rewrite what it means to be a person of color (or of darker complexion in Bangladesh). Thanks to my experience in Bangladesh, I enjoy both halves of my identity and am