I first discovered what sociology was when I was an undergraduate student at LaGuardia Community College and taking a class with Professor Allen Stevens. He introduced me to the concept of Sociological Analysis as a form of self-discovery. From understanding social structures that shape people’s identities, I began to understand daily experiences and were informed by larger social forces. 

I continued my study of sociology at John Jay College where I encountered an article in The Daily News describing the high rates of poverty in the Bangladeshi community. The article cited a report by the Asian American Federation that  stated that this group had overtaken African Americans and Latinx people to be some of the poorest New Yorkers. I was fascinated by this data, and wanted to learn more. I started to develop research questions about South Asian poverty, specifically the Bengali community. Many of my interviewees were Bengali women, and I discovered the unique challenges that immigrant and 1.5-second generation South Asian women faced. I then expanded my focus to Asian and Asian American women and how they experienced and handled racism. 

The next step in my journey was to attend Brooklyn College and to major in Sociology. Through my Research Methods Course, I learned how a sociologist would design, conduct, and publish a project. Learning the methodology helped me develop research ideas, refine some of my ideas and the development of sociological theory around race and gender.