- Has the country been in the news lately? If so, for what?
- As of lately, the biggest news I’ve seen where Bangladesh was mentioned was mid June. The flooding in Bangladesh and India had left millions homeless with very little to no access to food for more than two weeks.
- How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many are in the international diaspora? How many in the home country?
- According to Pew Research, there are approximately 208,000 Bangladeshi/Bengalis living in the US. There are 93,000 Bangladeshis in New York, 11,000 in New Jersey, and about 2,625 Bangladeshi people in Connecticut. In total, there’s a Bangladeshi population of approximately 106,625 people living in the tristate area. The Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment states that there is an estimate of 13 million Bangladeshis living outside of Bangladesh. The country itself has a population of 150.36 million people.
- In the tristate area, where do they live?
- According to Pew Research, the top metropolitan area where the Bangladeshi population reside, is in New York. There are 93,000 Bangladeshis in New York.
- What types of jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
- There is an influx of Bangladeshi immigrants who’ve become traffic cops in New York City. Many also own restaurants in the East Village. Approximately 30-40% of Taxi cab drivers are also Bengali/South Asian.
- Why did they come to New York/the US? When?
- New York happens to be very diverse and welcoming when it comes to the Bangladeshi community. Most families had men in the family who came in ships throughout the early 1900’s illegally, so they could build a life for future families to immigrate to. Large groups of Bangladeshis immigrated to the United States throughout the 1970s and 1980s. They also came for economic prospects because Bangladesh was still developing after they got their independence in 1971.
- What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community?
- Bangladesh Development Project, which is located in Astoria, is a non profit that seeks to help out people in poverty in Bangladesh. It is run by first-generation bengalis who create projects concerning healthcare, social justice, disaster relief, and more. Sapna NYC, and LAAL are two nonprofits that empower Bengali immigrant women through advocacy and different initiatives such as healthcare, and meditation.
- Do they have local media house/s? If so, list them.
- They have a Bangla language Newspaper that mostly the older generation reads but it is very popular. It’s called Weekly Bangalee. It’s the most widely read newspaper since 1991.
- Thikana Newspaper (https://abc7ny.com/aanhpi-heritage-month-bangladesh-community-underrepresented/11832078/)
- How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?
- Many Bengali Americans send back money to their relatives to build houses, Start community projects, and investments in real estate. Many bengali americans still have family back home and as a result must not only suppose themselves but also make sure to send money back home.
- In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
- Bangladesh’s GDP per capita according to the World Bank is $2,508 USD, this would rank Bangladesh as 41st in the world. Major industries such as the textile and garment industries have been the primary source of exports but things such as pharmaceutical drugs have a
- What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)
- Bangladesh is a parliamentary democratic republic. The current system was adopted in 1991. Bangladesh was a part of the British empire for approximately two hundred years.
- Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
- Ms. Sadia Faizunnesa Consul general and she’s been in the role since 2018
- Link to three news stories that have been published about the immigrant community in New York.
- https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/bangladesh-born-nabeel-disrupting-nycs-food-delivery-industry-494582 (Bangladesh-born Nabeel is disrupting NYC’s food delivery industry)
- https://abc7ny.com/aanhpi-heritage-month-bangladesh-community-underrepresented/11832078/ (Spotlighting the Bangladeshi community and its struggle with racism) – constant violent attacks against uber/lyft drivers who are bangladeshi
- https://www.laalnyc.org (LAAL)
- Are there any restaurants, bars, small businesses etc. that are owned/frequented by members of the immigrant community? Are there any other informal community spaces you can identify in the city?
- A very active area for many south asian communities is jackson heights. Jackson Heights has a diverse population of hispanic, Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalis, and Bengali that fill the streets with delicious cuisine. The east village in Manhattan is home to many Bangladeshi restaurants that operate under the “Indian,” name as many people don’t know what Bangladesh is.
- Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
- Laal – Bengali immigrant women come here to America for a better life for their children, for their family, and they often don’t get to do what makes them happy. The main reason is because it’s often hard to connect with people in a new country, but at LAAL everyone is the same. Everyone comes here to learn. Everyone comes here to chat about things that seem taboo such as reproductive issues. They’ve gone to North Central hospital with a group of Bengali women so they can engage in a conversation about what’s going on in their bodies and why. They learned about diseases and infections and ways to prevent it. It’s something they are usually not taught because they’ve been married off early and/or simply just haven’t had the conversations
- Violent attacks against Uber/Lyft drivers who are bangladeshi – discrimination faced
- Bangladeshi Development Project – Raises money to send back home (disaster relief)
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