Harlem’s multi-cultural history is both celebrated and explained in a FREE event at the Schomburg Center focusing on little-known stories about Bengalis and others from the Indian subcontinent who settled in Harlem, or set up businesses there, or both, from the 1920s to the 1950s.
It’s a book event, celebrating of the publication of Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America (Harvard University Press) by scholar and documentary filmmaker Vivek Bald, who will read excerpts. East Harlem actor/playwright Alaudin Ullah will perform an excerpt from his one-man show“Dishwasher Dreams,” which focuses on the story of his father Habib, who was one of the first Bengali men to settle in Harlem.
The event will also include a film excerpt from “In Search of Bengali Harlem,” the documentary film on which Bald and Ullah are collaborating, followed by a panel discussion and community forum with children and descendants of some of the Bengali men who settled in Harlem in the mid-twentieth century.
The free event is Saturday, April 6th, 5:30 to 8:30 PM. Registration is required to guarantee space. Register here.
The Schomburg branch of the NY Public Library is at Malcolm X Blvd. and 135th St. The 2 and 3 trains stop at the front door.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.