Rafath Rahman
Background:
I was born and raised in Sylhet, Bangladesh in a religious Sunni Muslim home. I first came to the United States as a child but migrated permanently in 2000 to study. My dad had initially come to America in 60s to study law, and had returned to Bangladesh 10 years later, because his family needed some help and he was homesick.
Migration & Settlement:
When I was in Bangladesh I heard that people were going to America and were earning huge amounts of money and having mansions. I think it's okay to say that greediness entered into me. I decided to go to America and study. When I arrived here, I started a job at a restaurant. It was a busy restaurant in a mall. I was OK while I was working but when I would go into bed, I would actually feel pain in my whole body from working all day long. Through patience, I moved into another city and worked really hard as well as spend time studying for my exams.
Identity and race:
My dad was concerned that there was no strong Bengali community developed in America at that time. He did not stay here most probably because he did not like the culture or some elements of the country. At that time, there was no Bengali environment. There was no mosque. He would celebrated Eid at home, pray namaz (prayers) at home, and there was no other choice. He wanted us to be Bengali. He had fought in a Bangladesh Liberation War when Bangladesh was separated from Pakistan. He was considered as a freedom fighter so he felt that his children should grow up in Bangladesh, learn Bangla and bengali culture, and when they were adult, then they can go to a foreign country for high education.