IMMIGRANT
THASFIA CHOWDHURY
Process
This was a difficult process for me to undertake, given that I had to reflect on which part of my identity to underscore and through what format to bring it to light. Ultimately, I found that every part of me was already intertwined in my narrative of struggle, and could be best presented most raw and wholesomely through a spoken word piece.
Revolutionary Moment
Both mine and Yamberlie's revolutionary moment was listening to political activist and writer, Arundhati Roy, speaking at Columbia about the racism and misogyny Mahatma Gandhi was involved with. It wasn't hearing awful things about a widely famous and admired man that was revolutionary but rather that a brave woman was able to bring to light the stories of those who Gandhi had exploited. What was revolutionary was that Roy, despite the turmoil that her research and truth-telling novel had aroused from her community, she remained dignified, constantly and completely in love with her people.