Artist
Husniya Khujamyorova
Born in the remote Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, Husniya Khujamyorova's adventurous and courageous spirit brought her to New York City at only 21 years of age. A devout member of her community, she helps recent migrants apply for schools, offers translation services for those in need, and cares for friends living far from their families overseas. A specialist of early childhood education and a linguist of endangered languages, she completed her Master's of Science and Education in Spring 2019. She often travels back home to Tajikistan, and to Badakhshan in particular, where she carefully documents endangered cultures and languages, shedding much-needed light on histories and practices often neglected in the western world. Her work has ranged from infant health with UNICEF to assisting researchers with projects on women's rights and domestic violence.
About the Work
Lullabies of New York by Husniya Khujamyorova is a deeply moving documentation project that records lullabies in endangered languages spoken by immigrant communities in New York City. Recognizing that many of these languages may disappear within a generation, Khujamyorova captures the intimate act of caregivers singing to their children in their mother tongue. Each lullaby becomes an archive of linguistic heritage, cultural identity, and the emotional landscape of displacement. The project underscores how language loss is not merely an academic concern but a deeply personal erasure of identity, memory, and the ability to express love in one's most native form.