In 1989, the Bangladeshi community in Kansas City was not exactly making a huge impact in the Kansas community.

According to the current president of the Bangladesh Association of Greater Kansas City, “a small or mid-sized basement would fit us all.”

While presently the local Bangladeshi community is only about 200-300, that does not mean they have not made their mark in the community, as evidenced by the Bangla New Year celebration this past Sunday. This was the group’s largest event of the year and serves as a festival honoring Bangladeshi culture. Not only that, but it serves as a way to pass on traditions from generation to generation.

The community center for the Bangladeshi Community in Kansas City was decorated from floor to ceiling with colors, sounds and smells from the celebrated culture. Vendors lined up to offer goods from the homeland, while children set up the stage for a day of singing and dancing in a carnival they put on.

Older generations in the community hope that by hosting events such as this, the younger generation will carry on the traditions of their culture and therefore, continue to pass it on from generation to generation.

According to Mostafa Kamal, a pioneer of the Bangladeshi community in Kansas City, “the children, they didn’t know anything about the culture or the roots. But it’s amazing how well they learn the music, the poetry or the dances.”

The welcoming atmosphere for others looking to join the Bangladeshi community is just one of the perks of moving to Kansas City – with events like this one, as Kamal states, “our next generation can relate to it and carry on the torch.”