Using Open Source to Solve an Identity Crisis

A presentation at Write/Speak/Code in August 2018 in New York, NY, USA by Nishat Anjum

Using Open Source to Solve an Identity Crisis Tracking the Bengali Diaspora Nishat Anjum || Write/Speak/Code 2018

Nishat Anjum she/her (knee-shot ann-jhum) @thathijabae

Content Warning: Mentions of: ● Death or dying. ● Genocide and warfare. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

The story of me. Genocide and data. Where the tech comes in. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

#WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

#WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Being a WoC in tech is like being a double minority. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Being a WoC or a Non-binary PoC in tech is like being a double minority. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

In 2015, women made up 25 percent of computing-related occupations. (NCWIT/ Bureau of Labor, 2016). Percentage of Computing Occupations Held By Women, 2015 #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

The intersection of tech and cultural identity occured once I moved past building apps and websites for the sake of building apps and websites and bridged an understanding of what matters to me. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

How do I use my experiences to create a better future for those like me who come after me? #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

⚡ 11th most densely populated country ⚡ Known for textiles exports {Zara, H&M factories} ⚡ March 1971 – December 16, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War ⚡ Genocide: About 3 Million Bengalis murdered #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

diaspora noun | di·as·po·ra | \ dī-ˈas-p(ə-)rə , dē-
the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland or any group migration or flight from a country or region. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Data is always collected with an agenda. I wanted to make my father’s memories of war concrete with some hard numbers. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Big data has a history of harming marginalized communities. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

D3.JS is a great introduction to data visualization. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

#WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Running through the UN archives with my woes. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

#WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

With great power comes great responsibility. #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Thank you! #WSC2018Conf @thathijabae

Nishat Anjum
@nailainbits

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As products of more than one society, immigrants often struggle to find their cultural footing. Add in recent genocide, religious tensions, plus life as a minority and it’s a toss up on how you define yourself. In this talk, I’ll be explaining the technical details behind using D3.js to track the Bengali diaspora as well as how this project has been bridging the gap between all of my identities. Who I am as a Bengali American, who I am as a software engineer, and who I am as a woman of color.