Silmi Abdullah
- Duration
- 4:35 (minutes:seconds)
Biography
Silmi Abdullah is a Bangladeshi-Canadian who grew up and studied in Saudi Arabia before moving to Toronto. Currently Silmi is doing her graduate studies in Toronto and is active in the city's multicultural scene.
Summary
Silmi Abdullah was born in Bangladesh, and at the age of one her family immigrated to Saudi Arabia. She spent 12 years there, in a strong Bangladeshi community. Although she was young and does not remember much from these years, she remembers the immigrant communities in Saudi Arabia as operating like bubbles, separate from the local culture there. When Silmi was 13 her family moved to Canada so that the children could get a good education. At school she made good friends and was mostly happy. As she looks back, she feels there may have been subtle discriminatory experiences. There was some pressure to conform and be part of a mono-culture, especially within the school system.