The History of Bangladeshi Americans

Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 10! Today we’re talking about Bangladeshi Americans, a separate group of the South Asian diaspora (Desi community) that’s a growing presence in the U.S. We go back to Bangladesh and talk about the importance of the area to the rest of India and the British Empire. Knowing the history of Bangladesh is essential to understand some of the struggles the Bangladeshi community has had in America. We also discuss the trauma of the Partition of India in 1947 as well as the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971… but both events contributed to the formation of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. It’s a unique area in South Asia, and the resilience of the people has added to some of the most positive qualities found in Bangladeshi Americans. This episode just scratches the surface of the community. We highly recommend Bengali Harlem, created by filmmaker and scholar Vivek Bald, which now includes a book, a documentary, and a site with Family Stories.

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Segments

• 00:25 Quick Intro
• 01:38 The History of Bangladeshi Americans
• 33:22 Shameless Plug… We’re Consultants for Hire