I grew up in a Muslim and Christian home, and because of my Iranian passport, I am legally and exclusively Muslim (in that nation’s eyes at least). I don’t ever identify with a religion, but if I do, I say I’m both. Most people are confused by this response, and so at best it leads to a converse. At worst, it easily fends off people who want to put me neatly and nicely into a box of their own choosing

My personal ethnic ambiguity invites questions as much as it doesn’t. The ability to “pass” as a member of a community, albeit religious, ethnic, or otherwise made me realise I might need to hash out some of the answers to the uncomfortable questions I avoid asking myself, at least before Beirut.

Atlantic Avenue: Adventures in Consumption Landscapes [IFP Beirut]

Food and grocery stores definitely plays an important role in this community. There were also an unexpected amount of African art and music stores. I think diaspora communities like this have a lot of meeting and community aid establishments to help immigrants navigate the American system of living.

I honestly didn’t see too many advertisements outside of the West African diaspora context. The ads that I did see were not billboards or real advertisements. There were mostly posters or small signs showcasing the sales in each of the stores.

As a native New Yorker, who grew up in an Indian diaspora community, I felt like a lot of the sights resonated with my childhood.  And to make things even more familair, I lived in Niger for a few months and did feel a certain connection to the area.

The importance of a respect for elders was illustrated as soon as the meeting started. Mr. A introduced us to the community leaders, and made sure that highest ranking leader was invited to say his piece first. Once he did that the discussion became lively and we were all encouraged to contribute. Understanding the cultural norms around formal meetings and political discussions is good manners, but it also will help us understand the social norms during our work, as well as help us better analyze the upcoming election process. It is social norms such as respect for elders that informs the political practices built into Liberian society, and the manner in which democracy functions.

I’m personally interested in the existence of generational gaps in West Africa, especially around conflicting notions of the role of youth in society.

I’d specifically like to explore the impact of the spread of a global youth culture facilitated by communications technology on youth voice in both Monrovia and New York’s Liberian community.