Dr. Sayeed Islam By Bobbi-Ann Williams (万波碧)

For May Asian American Heritage Month, I interviewed Professor Sayeed Islam from the Psychology Department at Farmingdale. He teaches Industrial/ Organizational Psychology which explores the science and practice of psychology in the world of work and organizations. Sayeed Islam grew up in New Jersey, while his parents were immigrants from Bangladesh. For his entire life, Professor Islam was immersed in the Bangladesh culture. While most of us try to adapt to the American lifestyle, Sayeed respected his home country and valued the language and traditions. As an Asian American Muslim, he is proud of being Muslim and celebrating Ramadan. Islam states that he is most proud of the art and the interesting cuisines his culture represents. He is proud of the language, and how Bangladesh fought for their own country 50 years ago. Professor Islam hopes to see recognition between South Asia and let people view them as distinct places. He would love to see more education recognition, introducing Bengali as a language course. During this interview, I was glad to learn more about the traditions Professor Islam grew up with. I am honored to witness the stories he told me and learn more about his heritage.