By Nargis Rahman Photographs by Michael Bloom This story was first published by Haute Hijab. About 20 years ago Diane Aboushi read the book, “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal,” by Eric Schlosser, and it stuck with her. She says the book unraveled the world of fast food and made her reconsider

By Shaolin Barid As the United States celebrates the Fourth of July and the birth of American nationality, we ponder about the struggle of achieving that sense of identity as Bengali Americans, and what it means to be an American. I often ask my parents, who are Bengali American immigrants, about their opinions of the

By Bushra Mollick New York, NY June 24, 2021 Pride Month is palpable in New York City as rainbow flags inundate sidewalks, hanging from apartment windows, small businesses, and outside religious institutions. The month-long celebration pays tribute to the 1969 Stonewall riots, a series of protests following a police raid at Stonewall Inn, a gay

New York, NY Shaolin Barid As Pride Month in the United States welcomes celebration and an invigorating atmosphere of candor amongst LGBTQ+ individuals, increasingly conservative environments like Bangladesh continue to fail at protecting queer communities. Though there is still so much work to do in order to achieve true equality in the United States, queer

Dhaka, Bangladesh By Sadia Noor Joya Dressed well in a clean shirt, pants, and polished shoes, Mr. Julhas Howladar sets up with his earphones, a wristwatch, and a pen in his chest pocket. He calls himself “smart,” which in Bangladesh refers to a refined appearance. Mr. Howladar isn’t in an office, but on the street,

Detroit, Michigan By Nargis Rahman At the height of the pandemic, Summi Akther, the Director of ICNA Relief Michigan, was up and out the door before her sons, 16 and 11 years old, were awake. She’d return just before they headed to bed. “Our work has increased tremendously during the pandemic. We went from serving