Oral History Interview with Mamnunul Haq: Muslims in Brooklyn oral histories: NYU Special Collections Finding Aids

Scope and Contents

In this interview, Mamnunul Haq discusses growing up in Sandwip, Bangladesh; his father's position in the local community; his political activism in Bangladesh; his marriage to his wife; and his immigration to the United States. He expands on his experiences driving a yellow medallion taxi in New York City, including his work to advocate for taxi drivers' rights and safety; co-founding the Bangladesh Yellow Society New York, the Bengal Cabbie Society, and the New York Taxi Driver's Alliance; and being seriously injured by a passenger. He also speaks at length about his memories of the East New York and Kensington neighborhoods of Brooklyn, especially regarding community organization in Kensington; serving on a community board; and his friendship with New York City council member Brad Lander. Interview conducted by Svetlana Kitto.

Biographical / Historical

Mamnunul Haq was born in 1962 in Sandwip, Bangladesh. He married his wife in 1988 and immigrated to the United States in 1991. He began driving a yellow medallion taxi in New York City in 1995 and was a strong advocate for taxi workers' rights, including co-founding the Bangladesh Yellow Society New York, the Bengal Cabbie Society, and the New York Taxi Driver's Alliance in in the mid-1990s. He retired from driving his taxi after a violent attack from a passenger left him hospitalized in 2005, and went on to become involved in health education and community organization in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, including supporting the local Avenue C Plaza and serving on a community board.

Conditions Governing Access

This interview can be accessed onsite at the Center for Brooklyn History's Othmer Library and online at the Oral History Portal.

Subjects

People

Lander, Brad

Topics

Places

Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.); East New York (New York, N.Y.); Kensington (New York, N.Y.); Sandwīp Island (Bangladesh)