Date: July 19th, 2022
Interviewee: Rafiqul Islam “Rafiq”
Interviewer: Subat Matin
Location: Brooklyn, New York

MATIN: Today is July 19th, 2022, tell me your life story.

RAFIQ: Okay, I was born in Sandwip. I’m from Musapur from then until high school we did our studies in Sandwip...

MATIN: What is your name?

RAFIQ: My name is Rafiqul Islam. My dad’s name is Nurul Haque... up until high school we were in Sandwip when we went to college we moved to Chittagong and was admitted to Moshin College and lived in Chittagong until 74’-82’. Afterwards I came to America in 82’ on June 21st. Then while still being in school I started a business so I came back and forth to Chittagong. But in 82’... uh 74’ I brought my whole family, I would come back and forth and later with family. I wasn’t married yet, but when I came with my family in Chittagong in 84’, I bought my own house I bought the house 83’... uh in 72’ so I just came back and forth. Then, I had a business...

MATIN: Did you buy your house in America or Bangladesh?

RAFIQ: No, in Bangladesh in Chittagong, in Pathorkata we have a house. I bought it myself it was my dad’s money, but I had bought it. Then I had a food a business... when Sheik Mujib died the license for those got canceled. Then a had an export and import business and I had two daughters and came to America in 82’. In 82’ first I came and then eight months later my family came, two daughters, wife and my little brother, Humayon and my mother, they came together, eight months after I came. Here we lived in Manhattan, when I first came with my father afterwards when my family came, months... three or four months later I saw that our family had grown. I... in Manhattan in this small apartment it wasn’t enough so we bought a house here, 353 that house. That house after we bought it, upstairs and downstairs all of my family stayed together. In between this we had been working in construction jobs, after working in construction we had a business, we opened a restaurant in Manhattan, I had a share there with my brothers. Later that got shut down, after shutting down, I what do you call it in McDonald [Avenue] what is it... the new restaurant, the name of it... the name is... there was restaurant there that I opened by myself. After the restaurant was there it was going well, suddenly one day my older daughter, the one who is a doctor she didn’t go to school for two to three days. A few days later when I got the report that no... I had to come in at five in the morning to open the restaurant and around 11 or 12 I would go back [home] but they were in school and in the afternoon around 2 or 3 I would come back [to the store] and then come home around 12 or 1 and they were already asleep. I saw that with us there wasn’t enough time to see them and they had been by themselves. This issues happened that she wasn’t going to school when I heard I went to the school and met with the principal and asked her what was the problem. She told me that she was scared of the teacher, actually the teacher was good, but to her she felt scared like when she was asked a question she thought that they were... from then on we got things fixed and Mashallah she is now a doctor.

Afterwards I closed the restaurant and before I was working in construction and I a company before so I went back to construction and I began to run the restaurant through other people. Later, whatever happens they couldn’t help with the business so a few days later I closed down the restaurant and continued on with construction work. The business is running and everyone is getting their education, my older daughter, everyone got their education and running around later Inshallah my older daughter is a doctor, my middle one didn’t finish law but she studied it, and youngest daughter she completed the eye doctor stuff and let it go, then she wanted to be an artist and then medical billing, she got training for that and works there, and has a good income later she got married and after getting married she worked for a long time, but stopped. Mashallah the boy [her husband] finished his engineering degree, and the whole family is separate with their kids and their happy.

MATIN: Tell me a little about your childhood. What was your childhood like?

RAFIQ: My childhood was like... we were in the village. In the village there were all kinds of things... near the house the biggest field in Sandwip we call it “gola” but it was a field. In that field where there was a lot of rain the water would fill up and rise. Only the high areas you would be able to see so in our house the people we would always... meaning all the same age maybe 20 or 25 people would live together, the house was big and long and about 22 or how many homes in one village [he said the word house for literal translation but in this context he meant the village]. So, in every house since 20 or 25 people of the same aged lived when rain season used to come then we used to take you know the banana the main thing, we would take that and put leaves in it and made boats from here we went far away, we would go and see snakes, mice, the big mice, in the high places they would make holes and we would go there to play. We made balls from the agriculture... with the coconut leaves we made those into balls and play with that. It would rain, the water would gather in the high area, we went there and played and when we saw long sticks would be there temporarily during the rain season. They would run away and the snakes would leave and if they came back we would hit the water and they would leave again and then kill them. Like this we would fool around and play.

Then as I mentioned earlier the high places, there in the spring time they would make something from the rice fields... sometimes the bad... you would soak those in the rice fields and... those would come and you put them on the high places and when the water went away then you would take it and put it in the mud. So, we would take those and play around over there. What else we did... when I was younger on the high places, it was like a small river maybe 20 feet and the whole thing is connected to the ocean so when summer came around the water would go away sometimes in heavy rain... what us boys did was, we would also catch fish, since it was hot and I also did this as well, on our whole face and body we put on mud and you could only see our eyes and because of the hot weather and sun it was covered on our whole bodies it would get dried... but actually I’m not sure if it was because of that but I never to use lotion even now I still don’t need to use lotion. I used to that when I was younger, take the mud and put it on ourselves and no could recognize us. We’d put on the lungis (traditional Bangladeshi clothing for men) and then fold it up and put it on our whole body and then take it off. We did those things for fun. In the spring time another thing was for Korban [Muslim holiday] came around that day especially on Korban... fridge... my mother and them were busy on Korban with the meat, there wasn’t a freezer so everything had to be cooked or had to be cooked in a dried way, they would be busy with Korban so it would be for the whole night. Korban used to be like let’s say the 15th so the whole moon would be out, all of us friends would go out to the field as I mentioned before the field and the whole night we played in that field, there was no care that day, they [parents] were busy and we stayed [in the field] and that is how... we had a lot of fun by ourselves. Especially me in my life, I had a lot of fun when I was younger. Now if kids are doing something [as in playing] I say no let them do it, a time will come when they won’t... now is there time to let them freely enjoy so that they can enjoy themselves, but so that they can come back on their own and hold onto themselves.

MATIN: What did your parents do? How many siblings did you have?

RAFIQ: My dad when I was little I remember in Sandwip that time we had our own... and went to get the milk washed and all of a sudden there was a tornado, I went with my father as well to get the milk washed and we saw that the sky turned dark and my father grabbed me and hurriedly came into the house. We had a house for cows and it was far before we could come it was raining so much the water in our front yard there was two feet of water and later in the back of the house like 50 yards away was a big mango tree, it was such a big mango tree it was shared between my grandpa and uncles. With the mango tree from far away was a tin almost two miles away was someone else’s home and the tin came and flew to our side and if that had fell on anyone they... that’s why he took me. I was surprised because why did he take me like that and at the end I understood why the reason was because of that... That’s time my father worked on a ship later when the ship came he never went back [to Bangladesh] and stayed in America. Later it was my mom and three brothers and two sisters. My mom over there took care of us and one thing was my mom never let us eat old rice and told us that if we ate old rice people would say they don’t have a father which is why... never, even before we went to school and had rice it was always fresh, they would cook it and feed us. In the evening fresh rice and was made, so our mom and Mashallah it was fine... three brothers and two sisters.


MATIN: When you were in school in Bangladesh, what was that experience like?

RAFIQ: In school life something else that happened was, your grandpa Manik miah know, my relatives house is in Gasua, he founded a brick [?] company the first brick company he founded, their relatives is also my cousin so in the bazaar they would announce to the people and sell whatever they could and come home to eat lunch and after they came what are they supposed to do so when they came I would buy some bricks from and then open my own business, I was little that time. At the end from my mother, I didn’t tell her and took the money and bought the brick from them and who I bought from in our country we have a small sitting... and I put it on that and began selling it outside, when my mother found out she yelled at me and asked why I did that and stuff. So, from whoever bought them they would take it but not give me any money. Everyone was from the village anyway, the big... the would buy it but not pay for it so at the end I just gave it to them.


MATIN: When you were in Bangladesh...

RAFIQ: Also, while living in Bangladesh I was always... even when I was little I did all of the grocery shopping and even now I still do. Whatever I like I buy it even then in Chittagong I did my own shopping, the house maids would go with me, but I would go and buy whatever I liked. If others bought anything I didn’t like it as much it felt...


MATIN: What kinds of foods did you eat in Bangladesh?

RAFIQ: While living in Sandwip every night myself and my [brother] immediate smaller person, every night during spring time we would put the fish, my mom didn’t know, but at the outside of the home there was a kitchen... on the door there. We had a teacher, we was permanently a high school teacher, but he stayed in our house and helped us with our studies. What we used to do around 10 or 11 at night when we used put the fish trap and at night we would bring it back and put the fish separately and in the early morning we would mix everything so my mom wouldn’t find out. So, every day we would catch the fish, we would catch fish with the fish net, we had pond, that is how we got fresh fish, “isa” fish (name of a fish in Bangla) and other fresh fish to eat. After coming home from school, we had a few big huts and land and in those we would make holes so the fish would come and we caught the fishes and ate fish in the morning and evening both times we bought fish, fresh. If we ever bought fish and fell asleep then my mom would cook it, wake us up and then let us go back to sleep. Meaning, we always ate fresh foods.


MATIN: While living in Bangladesh did you hear anything about America or American culture?

RAFIQ: The house meaning, hers [points to someone else in the room] ... the house Shabuddin [his nephew’s name] was in over there was an American cultural center nearby, there a guy that rented the place and we had a friendship with them so we went there and hung out. Now that place in Jamal Road I think, over there the American cultural center people would work there and we went there to hangout, he came because he lived here, our house and her... Shabuddin’s house, Shabuddin is my nephew were right next to each other, like the two houses next to each other here, right next to each other so they... and that’s how we knew. My father also lived in America that time.

MATIN: After coming to America has your opinions change?

RAFIQ: Actually, I had a business and my own car [in Bangladesh] so I sold the car and over there... after coming here I did the odd jobs, which I had to do because I don’t have choice and I don’t have that much money to do another business, my dad and brothers were here and they were doing a construction business so I started working with them. Then in 85’ I opened my own business, that’s it. One time after my wife came my mother said she doesn’t want to live here and wanted to stay in desh, here... our house was in Pathorkata there when they gave the adhan you could hear everything from the second floor. My mom said no over there I would hear the adhan and here all I hear are the dogs that’s why I’m not going to stay here. So, she wanted to leave, everyone and my wife aid how is my mother going to live there by herself, there are house maids there, but I said no my kids... here the eight months that I stayed without my daughters, my family, what do you say I missed them so I won’t let that happen. Plus, what we endured, which is that from a young age we didn’t have my father that’s why for them [his daughters] I don’t want to be separated from them and don’t them to be separated from me, I didn’t agree to be separated. My brothers said no after one or two years later we’ll send you back with money and you can do business there, I said no if we go we’ll go together I don’t want to be separated from my family or live that way. If it’s to go I want to go together and if it’s to stay then I want to stay together. Then afterwards... everyone was a little angry, but I said no I endured this myself I didn’t have my father in my childhood. If there is any issues with anyone then they say okay I’m going to tell my dad, I’ll tell my father, meaning the comfort and strength I didn’t have that because my father wasn’t with us which is why I don’t want my family to go through that. I understood it and didn’t want them to, wherever and whenever I stay I want to be together with my family.

MATIN: Why did you want to immigrate to New York specifically?

RAFIQ: I wanted to because all of my relatives are here that is why... sometimes I tried to go to Florida there was people there, one guy from Chittagong was there he took money from me and also started a business there, he took a loan from me. I wanted to go to Florida, but my wife said no until however long my father, her father-in-law is alive she didn’t want to... because my wife said that she wanted to take care of him, to watch him [to make sure he was taken care of], she didn’t want to leave my him and go somewhere else. That is why we stayed in New York or else I really wanted to go to Florida and move over there.


MATIN: What kinds of experiences did you have in New York?

RAFIQ: After first coming to New York... when we first came that time there was... everything was burnt, old, broken, not a lot of people, especially when I started working Manhattan in downtown over there the maximum houses were burnt down and broken, we worked on those. Nobody was there and people, there were a few bums on the road and it was also scary, they would ask us for money, threw bottles, attacked people if they didn’t give any money. They never did to me personally, but I still had money on me, but I never gave them money because I thought if I had taken money out of my pocket they would’ve seen it, so from the people at work I asked to give the money [on his behalf] to them [the homeless people] and then I paid them back. That is how I worked in Manhattan and never... Inshallah (God Willing) nothing ever happened.


MATIN: After coming to New York, what surprised you the most after seeing America and American culture?

RAFIQ: Okay in the mean time what I told my children I... while living in Bangladesh, your grandfather knows as well... while living in Bangladesh Inshallah I was in a good [job] position and I didn’t... but I came here and brought you guys [talking about what he is saying to his kids] here, I’m working an odd job, but you guys do an odd job like me then me living here there is no point. The point of bringing you guys here... you guys here need to be high educated and can survive here, not like how we survived, because that’s not a living, that shouldn’t be a life for you guys, Inshallah now all of them are established and everyone is in good positions...


MATIN: But what did you find surprising after seeing America and American culture? What were you shocked about?

RAFIQ: For me here... American culture is different from our culture that is why the culture never affected me, I always personally always tried to use my own culture to live my life even after I come I never ate anything outside other than halal, even then from the start I didn’t eat anything from outside, if it was halal then I would eat it if not I didn’t eat anything and came home and ate or I would take food from home and eat it there.


MATIN: When you first came to New York in 82’, where did you find halal and Bengali foods from?

RAFIQ: Bangladeshi... we could find it that time 2nd Avenue and 6th Street, 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue there was a lot of stores... since we lived in Manhattan then later during work... there was a lot of Sylheti’s who had stores, a lot of restaurants and they used to sell some halal wings and stuff and sell those. So, when about 10 or 12... when three or four people used to work with us I would buy halal food so that I can eat it as well and brought it for them too, I only bought chicken wings. The Spanish people who used to work for me told me maybe we’ll turn into chickens now because of how much chicken we’ve been eating. Then, even though I lived in Manhattan in Church and McDonald Avenue there was one halal meat store, I bought from that meat store and live we used to buy chicken from Manhattan in Delancey we bought live chicken. After I came I never... no matter how far I came and bought the things, which ever one of those stores I would buy from. The vegetables were on Canal Street, I would take the subway and go, when I came to New York I took the subway and bought the vegetables from there, fresh vegetables, that time only one store was there... the fresh vegetables on Canal Street nowhere else had it.


MATIN: While living in Bangladesh did you hear about other Bangladeshis immigrating to America?

RAFIQ: No, there wasn’t a lot.


MATIN: Did you ever face any discrimination?

RAFIQ: Yes.


MATIN: How did you adjust to the American lifestyle?

RAFIQ: Actually, the American lifestyle... Even now the America lifestyle I haven’t adjusted. I hang out with everyone, but for me it was different because during our time there was a lot of people drank beer and other stuff, I hung out with them, but I never use those myself. I never... I stay to myself even in Bangladesh my friends they did things, but I never. I always saved myself and live that way, I never wanted to... but for a few days, with your grandpa, my family was also there, my family only a few of them were here and everyone else was a bachelor, we had parties, but the parties were not anyone’s house who had a family. A few of us 10 or 12... your grandpa was there too, what we used to do was when it snowed, or Saturday and Sunday when there was no work we gathered at one house, sit there and talk, cook and had fun that’s how we spent the night the doing, ask your grandpa he will tell you how we spent those nights with everyone, a lot of nights that’s what we did. Your grandpa once was going to work, I didn’t have work, he kept on telling me to come over in the morning and we were joking around with him like no we are going to enjoy, but you can’t, so why are you hosting... things like that, a lot of our life and nights were spent like that we enjoyed it. Even there a lot of people would do things but I never did. Even if they did it wasn’t a lot just drinking a little beer, smoking and the food was being cooked, we played cards, talked and nothing else really.


MATIN: When you first came to New York what did you like about it?

RAFIQ: After coming to New York my life that I left behind that’s why I didn’t really like it... for staying after bringing my family, I had to stay and raise them, get them educated, that was the main thing.


MATIN: After coming to New York did you face any problems?

RAFIQ: After coming to New York when our visa went away it was... I didn’t do much, but I had a fear in the back of my mind, my family was here and if anything happened... until I got the status [of the visa] that time was stressful... but we continued to work, bank account and everything was still there, but didn’t have any problems with that.


MATIN: Did you come here and learn how to speak English?

RAFIQ: [continued response from previous question] one time in our job... that in our job some people might have gave information of our job and every day two, four or ten people would be taken, after being taken...

MATIN: Who took them?

RAFIQ: Immigration... one day... I had my learner’s, but I was learning how to drive at the time, I drove a car in desh too, one of our drivers was going to come and the car was in front of the house, the driver was going to come take the car and pick me up and actually on 12th Avenue... 12th Street and 6th Avenue there was building there where people worked and immigration came took away five or six people. After catching them I was still waiting for him to come, but he hasn’t so I drove myself there and after going there one guy came and across the street he asked me if I was going to that building and I said yes. He told me in that building immigration is there and that time I didn’t have papers, so I put the car on park, I was at the light, I slowly parked on the opposite side and stood there to see what they did. That time my younger brother Humayun was caught and a lot of other people as well, there was a lot of cars behind me that was honking and they cut me off, but the car was parked there in front of the light while the car was still on. Later I told immigration that is our car, let me move it and park it somewhere, I parked it and left. That day is how I left the car there.

MATIN: Did you have to learn English after coming here or you didn’t have to learn English?

RAFIQ: No, as it is, that time how it was now is the same. It’s going I didn’t have to learn a lot.

MATIN: After coming here how often did you go back to Bangladesh to visit your family?

RAFIQ: After I came for almost 13 years I didn’t have papers. After 13 years I went back.
MATIN: How did you keep in contact with family back in Bangladesh?
RAFIQ: With my family on the telephone, that time we had a telephone, at home in Chittagong we also had a telephone, here we had a telephone and they came here eight months later, my family. But with my mother and others we had a telephone for a long time from 73’ since the time we bought the house in Pathorkata we had a telephone. That time only a few people had a telephone, in Chittagong the people from Sandwip only a few people had houses so there was a guy the worked he was a relative, an uncle, through him he worked for TNT and from I easily got a telephone. We still have the same number now.

MATIN: Your relatives that are in Bangladesh now, what do they think of you now?

RAFIQ: My relatives there is not a lot now, but now my family the expenses have increased and everyone’s family is here now, in my relatives, everyone has someone here, that’s why we didn’t have to much... only to help poor and needy people, that’s it.

MATIN: What do you do now?

RAFIQ: I am sort of resting now.

MATIN: Do you think Bangladesh or America is your home?

RAFIQ: I still think that Bangladesh, Sandwip is still my home.

MATIN: You said earlier that your family came eight months after you, what did your wife after coming here? Did she ever work outside or stayed home?

RAFIQ: No, that time she stayed at home.

MATIN: What did she do at home?

RAFIQ: At home she cooked for everyone and take care of them. Later, when the kids got older she worked.

MATIN: What kind of work did she do?

RAFIQ: She worked at some clothing stores and later and then she worked at the store Amazing Savings, that’s it.

MATIN: What did you do after your wife and kids came?

RAFIQ: I worked construction.

MATIN: What kinds of Bangladeshi culture and traditions did you want your children to keep?

RAFIQ: I always for my kids tried to with the relatives, friends, and people that we know try to have them over for gatherings, parties, invited people over for food, and after they came, two of them were born here, but their speaking in Bangla and I taught them Arabic and Bangla.

MATIN: What do your children and family believe about Bangladeshi culture?

RAFIQ: Now, they... [respect] our culture but some of them have differences and like American culture, they were born here and we were born in Bangladesh so we follow Bangladesh... but they were born here so you know... they think that this is their motherland.

MATIN: What about your grandchildren?

RAFIQ: They also are like us, but slowly, Allah knows what will happen.

MATIN: Did you face any problems in your family when trying to preserve Bangladeshi traditions or culture?
RAFIQ: Problems... that time they didn’t really do anything and we didn’t have any problems. Now slowly... still their trying and so are we to hold on, now there is nothing to do, everyone lives faraway, but still trying for them to hold onto our culture. Trying to make them speak Bangla, telling them to learn Bangla, at least talk in Bangla. Two of them are born here so when they talk in Bangla a lot of people don’t realize that they were born here because of how they speak Bangla, that’s it.

MATIN: What do you like about Bangladeshi culture?

RAFIQ: Within Bangladeshi culture I like everything. That’s why I said that I didn’t become an American.

MATIN: Do you think there are any problems with Bangladeshi culture?

RAFIQ: I don’t see any problems with Bangladeshi culture.
MATIN: Do you think there is a difference between being Bangladeshi American and just Bangladeshi?
RAFIQ: No, I don’t think there is a difference, everyone is human. Their born here and their culture is here, that’s why I don’t see it. They have their own and we have ours, that is why we can’t tell them to come to our culture. I won’t push them, but to hold onto our culture is important. As I mentioned earlier, they were born here this is their motherland and our motherland is over there, so how I can tell them to follow my motherland? No, you can follow this one too, but also hold onto ours. Holding onto it and actually doing things [from the culture] are different.

MATIN: When you first came here, where did you meet other Bangladeshis?

RAFIQ: I met them here on McDonald and Church Avenue, there was a restaurant in that restaurant I would meet everyone. But it wasn’t a lot and on the way to any places if I saw a Bangladeshi, I can’t explain it how good it felt finding a Bangladeshi person and talking to them. I saw once with my wife and kids, from our house we took a taxi and there was a Bangladeshi who’s is from Chittagong and after hearing us talk, he took us to Macy’s, he didn’t take money from us. I asked why and he said no, you are Bangladeshi that is why. That is how we... our old places, your grandpa, us, then and now whenever we see someone from the past there was affection and sincerity. When we saw someone everyone shows each other love, affection, care, still to this day, with everyone from the past. But with new people there is nothing... now if you go to McDonald and Church Avenue if you see anyone, you say brother and hug them, how are you, meaning that bond we created back then is still cherished and everyone holds on to. A person that I love a lot that person also does as well, that is Allah’s creation.

MATIN: What is the Bangladeshi community like in Brooklyn like?

RAFIQ: Now the Bangladeshi community there is a lot of people that is why... when there is an increase of people there is going to be a lot of change, crowded, people get into fights [argument] with each other and all of that will come automatically. If three people get together something happens... there is just a lot of Bengali people now so there will be issues.

MATIN: Are you part of any organizations in Brooklyn?

RAFIQ: Yes, I am with the Sandwip Association, we started that 14 of us, the [Sandwip] Education that was there, we created that I myself was part of it. Like this however we could... I helped start it and now there is a lot of people so their following our footsteps and slowly took it forward.

MATIN: Why do you like or liked about this organization?

RAFIQ: I liked whenever one of our people passed away, he actually used to work with us, he passed away suddenly and then when he had to be buried if there is help then it’s easier to do, that’s why we made the associate to help and make things easier for people.

MATIN: What kinds of challenges or struggles does the Bangladeshi community face in Brooklyn?

RAFIQ: Everyone struggles since this is not our country so everything is challenging and that’s how we have to live.

MATIN: When you were in school in Bangladesh, did you learn about the time when Britain still had control over the Bengal region?

RAFIQ: Yes.

MATIN: Do you remember what you learned?

RAFIQ: When the Moghul empire how they lost power and how the British took over, those things they told us about. All the time through your people someone else calls for destruction, because of that our Mughal empire was destroyed, they invited themselves. That is why... that’s why the Mogul empire was destroyed because of the people. The British showed some greediness and destroyed our people. They were done later and because of greed, power, and money... even now in the world things are happening because of this. Power, greed and [money]... in the whole world, who can they take it from.

MATIN: When the war was happening in Bangladesh on 1971 do you know what is was like [environment, to the people]? Did you see what was happening?

RAFIQ: I saw that people who were educated and had money, they had respect and honor, later the respect went away. When people have money in their hands, they saw that before the position their in. If the position gets better the honor that they have is not there anymore. Before people who had money they would wear panjabis [a traditional men’s wear] you could see the money in their pockets... when you have money, and if I have money, people usually think how am I going to keep it secured or else people would take it, but the people didn’t have that mentality back then. Those who had money and their families educated, has money they were kind hearted.

MATIN: When Bangladesh was East Pakistan, what did you see that time during the war in Bangladesh?

RAFIQ: In Bangladesh during the war, we were in Sandwip, we would sit, where we used to study over there we would sit there with the radio on and made fish nets, I made three fish nets, people came to sit to hear about the news, that time not a lot of people had the radio, in our house and in two or three other houses, no one else had it. In the evening time people came after work and sat around to see when Bangladesh... the news would come on suddenly so people sat around and made fish nets, that is what they did. People, meaning every person would wait to find out what kind of news we would get, what is happening.

MATIN: But you didn’t see anything in the war?

RAFIQ: In the war I didn’t see anything, but later when the war ended, we came to Chittagong and saw that, I still remember we... me and Shabuddin’s dad, my brother-in-law he and someone else from Bauria his name is Idris, us three took a taxi for the whole day and went around to see what had happened around the city, I saw the building in Chittagong called... in the Behari colony from the train, a lot of people would get dropped off, the Behari’s the way they killed the Muslims, the way water flows the same way I saw blood was also flowing down the streams. When I went... I remember even after traveling around the whole day we spent forty-five taka on the taxi, we went around the whole city of Chittagong, where the bombs fell and other things that happened.

MATIN: Do you know anyone who fought in the war?

RAFIQ: Yes, the freedom fighters used to come to our house and we gave them food, there were a few people like that... who came to our place, they were freedom fighters who were training. I also helped four or five people with my own money to send them back. My cousin went to the war, my three cousins from our village they went to the war. I gave money to help.

MATIN: Do you know anyone who went to India?

RAFIQ: Yes, they went to India, they took the money to go to India, was trained and then came back to Bangladesh. They were my three close cousins.
MATIN: What do you know about the famine that occurred in Bangladesh in 1974? Did you have any experiences with that?
RAFIQ: Even before the war that time we, even myself, with my... from the bank I took out almost 60,000 taka, after bringing the money, we didn’t have a building made yet, what we did, me and my mother no else knew, we would dig a hole and put the money there and then we moved the money, wrapped it in plastic and moved it to somewhere else. When the Bangladeshi government said not to put the money in the bank, so we didn’t put it back. Now still we our back then Pakistani money of 10,000 takas, that time’s 10,000 takas is a lot of money.

MATIN: When you were in school in Bangladesh what did they teach you about Bangladesh’s history?

RAFIQ: Bangladeshi history that time they didn’t start teaching us about it yet, since it had just started, then slowly how Pakistan and India was separated, how from the British we were separated that is the history they told us.

MATIN: What do you think is the most important about Bangladesh’s history?

RAFIQ: In Bangladesh’s history actually before different people came and changed into their own, the accurate history is not... everyone that did something the empires we should hold onto it, that is the history of Bangladesh and everywhere else in the world because I came to this country and later my generations are here... if that is not held onto then that is going to disappear.

MATIN: Did you hear about Bangladeshis going to the Middle East in order to look for jobs?

RAFIQ: Yes, I heard.

MATIN: Did you know anyone?

RAFIQ: Before I came I helped a lot of people go to the Middle East, almost every one of my relatives I helped them go and then I came to this country.

MATIN: Do you know they were treated in the Middle East?

RAFIQ: That time they were treated nicely and wasn’t that bad...

MATIN: When you were in school in Bangladesh, were you taught anything about New York or American history?

RAFIQ: No.

MATIN: While you lived in Bangladesh, did you hear of Bengalis immigrating to different countries other than America?
RAFIQ: No, I know they went to London and my father was here anyway.

MATIN: Did you know anyone who did contract marriages?

RAFIQ: Yes, I knew a lot.

MATIN: Do you know about their experiences? Or how it worked?

RAFIQ: Those who did contract marriages what they used to do was, in the evening I heard from many people... every week they gave the money to them [the women] and a lot of times if they didn’t get the money... many faced punishments and many struggled a lot for a long time.
MATIN: When you became a citizen how did you feel?

RAFIQ: Actually, I didn’t feel any different...
MATIN: What do you miss about your life in Bangladesh?

RAFIQ: I still miss Sandwip and my life there.

MATIN: What is your favorite memory of Bangladesh?

RAFIQ: In Bangladesh all of our memories is from a young age and everything is...

MATIN: Do you have a favorite one?

RAFIQ: My favorite one was whenever I was in Sandwip, I had a hope that my... I had sheep and other... but I had a hope that would own a bull, but that is not possible because my uncle had bulls and I thought that when I got older I could also keep some bulls, you could make yogurt with bulls milk, the yogurt that hardened I wouldn’t eat those so I would tell my uncle that the ones [yogurt] that were soft, I would bring that from him, his house was right next to ours. I thought I would make my own yogurt and eat it. But that never happened, later I came to Chittagong and then America.
MATIN: How did you find out about events that took place in Bangladesh after you left?
RAFIQ: If anything happened we had a telephone and... that is how we found out or from someone else.

MATIN: Would you change anything about your life or immigration journey?

RAFIQ: No.

MATIN: Do you have any regrets?

RAFIQ: No, I don’t have any regrets. What time is it? It’s namaz (prayer) time.

MATIN: What accomplishments are you most proud of?

RAFIQ: I am proud that Allah kept me healthy, my children Inshallah are established on their own, I don’t have anything else Inshallah.

MATIN: Is there anything else you would like to say or share?

RAFIQ: No, I only want to ask Allah for forgiveness and going back to Allah... there is nothing else.