Oral History Interview with Rahima Khatun

DESCRIPTION
Oral history interview with Rahima Khatun, conducted by Philadelphia Fellow Maha Rahman.

Rahima and Monujan Khatun are sisters who live just outside of Philadelphia. Both women were born and grew up in Sylhet and immigrated to the US in their later adult life. Rahima and Monujan provide their perspectives on their experiences growing up in Sylhet— their local communities, their household culture, and their memories of school. They describe their close relationships with their cousins growing up, and the difficulty of leaving family behind in Bangladesh. The sisters recount their personal experiences with marriage and raising children largely on their own, and explain the importance they place on religion and preserving certain cultural traditions, like cooking Bangladeshi dishes. They also share their memories of the first day they arrived in New York City. Though their new home in an American suburb is vastly different from their childhood home in Sylhet, they reflect on how they still continue household traditions and practices passed down from generations before.

In this oral history, Rahima shares her story.

AUDIO
Duration: 00:16:06

ADDITIONAL METADATA
Date: August 3, 2022
Subject(s): Rahima Khatun
Type: Oral History
Language: Bengali, English
Creator: Maha Rahman
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PROVENANCE
Collection: Maha Rahman Fellowship Project
Item History: 2024-04-03 (created); 2024-04-16 (modified)

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