Friday, April 19, 2024 | 12pm to 1pm
Note: Discussion limited to CUNY faculty, staff and students.
Bangladeshi migration to Spain is resurging due to declining economic opportunities and political instabilities in Bangladesh. While a long standing community began to form in the 1980s, due to Spain’s liberal immigration laws, the community size ebbed and flowed as migrants moved to other parts of Europe. But as immigration laws have become restrictive in other parts of Europe, Bangladeshi migration to Spain has increased exponentially in the last five years. This presentation, based on 2023 ethnographic work as a Fullbright Scholar in Spain, focuses on the community-based organization, Valiente Bangla/Brave Bangla, based in Madrid, formed after a successful mobilization to stop the deportation of 34 Bangladeshi nationals in Cueta. Prof. Chaumtoli Huq will share some insights on how a relatively new migrant community, despite linguistic, cultural, and other socio-economic barriers, have been able to successfully win human rights for migrants. Also joining Prof. Huq will be Mohammed Elahi Alam, the founder of Valiente Bangla, to discuss the organization and challenges.
