Portraits of a Diverse City | Allie Hill Design

The story of humanity is the story of migration

Portraits of a Diverse City by Allie Hill & Amin Kamrani

E-zine

Kuala Lumpur is a city that was birthed into diversity.

Right from the start, this muddy confluence of two rivers – rich with tin and opportunity – attracted migrants from as far as China, Sri Lanka, India and all over the Nusantara.

Isolated from their homelands and often without easy passage home, the newcomers poured their efforts into rebuilding their lives here. For most, there was no turning back, and this land would be the good soil into which they would sow their hopes and dreams.

There were feuds and truces, strategic alliances and interracial marriages. Families, clans and businesses were established, and the little muddy confluence grew into a glittering capital of influence. As KLites today we are truly the children of pendatang who came, who saw, and who made community together.

Today, Kuala Lumpur continues to be the first port of call for many who still need to seek a better or safer life. They come from different places, but they dream the same dreams our ancestors did a long time ago. They do different work now, but their contributions are no less valuable. They speak differently, but they add to the rich tapestry of shared narratives and expressions that makes this place a vibrant cosmopolitan city.

Yet in 2020, along with the coronavirus, xenophobia reared its ugly head, and the soul of this city suffered. To us, there was no option to ‘close one eye’ as Malaysians like to say. Like most diseases, the cause is often unintentional ignorance, but it is willful neglect that makes it chronic and gangrenous.

Kuala Lumpur is a city that was birthed into diversity. But it thrived because of inclusivity.

I am a third generation KLite while Amin, Iranian-born, has made KL home since 2011. Bringing together our experiences from both sides of the divide, we tried to document a small slice of KL’s beautiful diversity with a series of photos featuring the inspiring friends we have met here.

Malaysia does not resettle refugees and asylum seekers. Since this zine was published, some of the friends featured here have moved on to resettle in other countries, including Amin. It is always with such mixed feelings that I bid them good bye. I wish for them to have the rights that my country will not give them. But I also wish they could stay, because I know they wish they could, too. I wish things were different.

I wish my country, made beautiful by migration, did not forget so quickly.

About the co-author: Amin Kamrani

I recall watching a TV show about diversity in Southeast Asia, in which Amin was one of the featured guests for the KL segment. While I can’t recall the exact question asked, I distinctly remember Amin’s response:

‘Borders do not mean that much. I feel Malaysian a lot of times – I love durian – for instance. Of course, I don’t have Malaysian documents. But those documents don’t mean much to me. Durian means more to me than a passport, you know.’

In that very moment, I was certain I had discovered the perfect collaborator for this project :-)

Amin, an Iranian born photographer and film maker arrived in KL in 2011. In 2023, owing to safety concerns arising from his activism, Amin and his partner relocated to Los Angeles, California.

A few days ago, my Whatsapp pinged with a photo and message from Amin. He was very excited because he had just found the best durian ice cream in LA.