In Search of Bengali Harlem

As a teen, Alaudin Ullah was swept up by the energy of hip-hop and rebelled against his Bangladeshi roots. Now a playwright contending with post-9/11 Hollywood’s Islamophobia, he sets out to tell his parents’ stories. IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM tracks his quest from mid-20th-century Harlem to Bangladesh, unveiling intertwined histories of South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans.

As a teen, Alaudin Ullah was swept up by the energy of hip-hop and rebelled against his Bangladeshi roots. Now a playwright contending with post-9/11 Hollywood’s Islamophobia, he sets out to tell his parents’ stories. IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM tracks his quest from mid-20th-century Harlem to Bangladesh, unveiling intertwined histories of South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans.

Alaudin Ullah talks about his childhood experience as both Bengali and American in Harlem, New York. The stand-up comedian and playwright shares how he and his family were viewed and the affect it had on him throughout his early years in public school.

Alaudin Ullah talks about the cultural revolution known as hip hop in Harlem. Ullah felt like an outsider when he was growing up so he connected to the music and the people. But this also meant a rejection of his Bangladeshi culture which his parents did not understand as they were proud of who they were and where they came from.

Growing up, Alaudin Ullah was at odd with his parents and his Bengali culture. Now as an adult, Ullah is learning about who his father was and how he immigrated to America, and the meeting and marriage between his parents. What he uncovers throughout his journey is eye opening.