Mena is an Egyptian entrepreneur and business owner across many locations in New York, especially within Astoria. She’s the owner of the modest women’s clothing store ‘Menatique’ which has two locations on Steinway, and is described by many in Astoria as being a large part of the local community. Her story is like many, though she originally started out as a physical therapist and then began getting into business when she was unsatisfied with the hijab options available to her in New York. She reflects on more subtle experiences with Islamophobia and othering in the form of workplace comments about her “never really living” because she doesn’t drink alcohol as part of her faith. This doesn’t bother her, or turn her away from American living. Instead, when she sees something that isn’t working for her or her community, she seeks to change it. When interviewing her, Mena told me multiple times about her plans for community engagement projects in Astoria to have local Muslim youth events, and get young Muslim girls involved in entrepreneurship. She urges her community in Astoria to learn from that, and to engage the young Arab Muslims in their community, and give them a safe space to learn and thrive. 

– M

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant