From The Peopling of New York City
Recently at the Relay for Life in Baruch College, I met up with my standup Pakistani Muslim friend, Sameer Khan. He was sort of sleepy when I interviewed him as it was during the wee hours of the night when I conducted it. However, do not fear, for I will interview him again later; for now, this is what I got.
JWC: What is your name?SK: Sameer Khan.
JWC: Where are you from?
SK: I was born in *inaudible* Texas and my parents are from Pakistan.
J: Are you a practicing Muslim?
S: Yeah, I am.
J: Do you follow all the Five Pillars.
S: Not all of them, but I pray 5 times a day when I can.
J: Did you go on the hajj.
S: No, I’ll go when I have the money to.
J: What other questions should I ask.
S: I don't know, you’re the one in the class…
J: Did you ever go to Jackson Heights?
S: Yeah, I love going there actually.
J: Oh yeah, what do you do when you go there?
S: I dunno, it’s just a nice India-Pakistani community that I can sort of relate to. Um, it sort of, you know…it offers sort of community that is not readily available in Manhattan. You know, because there’s a lot of immigrants moving there. It’s more culturally welcoming for people coming to those areas.
J: Even if they are Hindu or Muslim.
S: Hindu, Indian, Muslim, Pakistani. Just generally speaking, just having those ground *inaudible* there, just sort of…it’s about establishing a comfort level, it’s easier there.
J: So in Jackson Heights, do you see the Muslim vendor stands?
S: I mean yeah, I've seen them before.
J: Do you every talk to those guys?
S: No.
J: No? Not your friends?
S: No, I don’t know anything about them.
J: How about the mosque in Jackson Heights, do you know anything about that?
S: I've been to a mosque in Queens, it wasn’t in Jaskson Heights though.
J: No…? That’s it?
S: I mean…I’m sorry Jin Woo.
J: Wait! Wait! We aren’t done yet! What is your opinion of Hindus?
S: C’mon, I don’t know, I mean…
J: Make something up; I don’t know!
S: I don’t think of them negatively, uh, there definatley is some tension going, especially between Pakistan and India…uh…you definitely can’t record that…
J: Why not!?
S: Just do it tomorrow.
J: I cant, I'm busy tomorrow.
S: Are you serious?
J: Wait! Don’t go to sleep on me, I need you! Hey, hey…
S: Jin Woo, I'm tired.
J: Yo, think of some questions! What would a person inquistive about Jackson Heights need to know?
S: What happened?
J: Is there anything important about Jackson Heights I need to know!?
S: No…They have bad housing there…it’s expensive for *expletive*
J: Oh it is? Oh crap, Im running out of batteries!!! No!!!
S: ZzzzZzzz...
J: ...