‘History in the Making’ | Three trailblazers discuss the importance of redefining the narrative for Muslim Americans.
Councilmember Bakhtiari, GA Rep Romman, and Senator Islam examine the often fraught intersectionality of culture, nationality, religion, gender, and politics.
“Trailblazing is not as sexy and seductive as people think it is." - Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari
ATLANTA, Ga. — As May 2023 draws to a close, so does another AAPI Heritage Month.
It started back in the late 70s as a commemoration of Asian American and Pacific Islander culture, traditions, and history for people of AAPI descent in the United States as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week.
Acknowledgment of the month became much more widely celebrated within the last dozen years after President Obama put a ring on it by officially recognizing May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month after signing Proclamation 8369 in May 2009.
While the acronym AAPI which stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander may sound short and sweet, I can assure you that the endeavor of representing this group comprehensively is anything but.
We, as in American culture, routinely relegate that term to countries in the East and Southeastern quadrants of the continent.
For instance, Japan, China, India, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines.
We tend to forget that we are talking about a land mass that reaches from the South Pacific to the Mediterranean and that we are also looking at nearly 50 countries and their respective cultures.
And a much broader canvas than most Americans (including myself) commonly attributed to the term ‘Asian.’
Think about it from an entertainment standpoint for a moment, actors such as Gal Gadot, Mindy Kaling, Steven Yeun, Michelle Yeoh, Lucy Lui, Taika Waititi, The Rock and even Jason Mamoa would fall under the AAPI umbrella.
Imagine having to be the one that had to cater that cookout, that’d be one heckuva a feat, wouldn’t it? – but I digress.
That hasn’t even taken religion into account, either.
Did you know that over 50% of the planet’s Muslim population would call Asia their home continent? – Neither, did I.
Countries such as India, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia comprise about 85% of the Muslim population in Asia.
Now that we’ve had our lesson in civics, Vox Pop ATL wanted to throw some shine on three members of the AAPI diaspora. Three specific civic leaders have all successfully shattered the glass ceilings in their respective positions as the first Muslim female / non-male individuals to be elected in the state of Georgia.
Meet the Trailblazers:
Vox Pop ATL spoke with each of the three political figures who have been elected to Atlanta City Council, GA State Representative, and the Senate.
Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari is the first queer Muslim person to be elected in the state of Georgia, and the first nonbinary person elected in the city of Atlanta.
Her heritage is Iranian.
Liliana was born in Atlanta, raised in Gwinnett County, and serves her first term as a council member of the Atlanta City Council, representing District 5.
“The reason I got into office in the first place, is I felt like I couldn't protect my community,” laments Bakhtiari.
“Being an Iranian and also an individual that comes from an immigrant refugee family, that represents a lot of narratives. I mean, that is the American dream in so many ways.”
Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman is the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives, and the first Palestinian-American elected to any office in the GA.
Her heritage is Palestinian.
Born in Jordan, Romman moved to the U.S. when she was 7. Romman attended Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and a Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University.
“This is a very public representation of who I am,” speaks Romman of her hijab, a headscarf adorned by Muslim women in certain cultures.
“Being the first Muslim woman in the house is a huge honor, and it's a huge responsibility because I'm not only representing my district, I'm representing a group of people that haven't felt like they've had a voice in government for a long time.”
Georgia Senator Nabilah Islam was the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia State Senate and the second overall in the Georgia State Legislature.
Her heritage is Bangladeshi.
Islam was also raised in Gwinnett County primarily in Norcross and Lawrenceville. A staunch Democrat, Islam has dedicated much of her career to advancing Democratic values and causes, particularly in healthcare. Earning her the nickname, “Georgia’s AOC.”
“The possibility doesn't exist unless you create it,” affirms Islam.
“Growing up in Gwinnett, I just never saw folks that looked like me or understood my experiences in positions of power.”
“When we're not at the table, we're on the menu. So, we need to continue to have more conversations with people that understand our lived experiences.”
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