My artifact is a kuta ezor, a traditional Uzbek/Tajik outfit that includes a short or long dress with matching pants. It can be made from fabrics and decorated with patterns, embroidery, and rhinestones. My first kuta ezor was made when I was 6 or 7 years old. I would wear it when guests visited, just like the older women in my family. My favorite memory of wearing it was on July 20, 2021, when I visited Uzbekistan. During Eid, while family members and guests were coming in and out of the house, I wore my pink and white kuta ezor with rhinestones. I remember feeling happy and proud because I was wearing something that connected me to my Uzbek culture. 

  Even though I was born into a family with Uzbek/Tajik traditions, growing up in America sometimes made it harder to feel fully connected to my culture. I struggled to speak Tajik with my relatives because they do not know English, and I was not fully confident speaking Tajik with my American accent. Wearing my kuta ezor made me feel closer to my family and reminded me of where we came from, and that people bring their cultures and traditions with them when they move to a new country. In New York, Uzbek restaurants, stores, and communities help keep our traditions alive and bring people together. Just like my family, many others share their cultures while building a life in a new place. My kuta ezor is a part of my family’s story and shows how people from different backgrounds make New York the diverse place it is today. 

– FA

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child