Faces of Long Island

July 30, 2000

Source: The New York Times

On July 30, 2000, The New York Times reported on Trinidad native Shamina Khan Mir, an "ambitious, successful entrepreneur who single-handedly runs [a] bustling store, one of 82 7-Elevens in Nassau County and one of seven owned by women. A resident since 1966, a citizen since 1970 and a Long Islander since 1974, Ms. Mir has become Americanized, but at the same time retains her West Indian identity. 'I live according to the specific circumstances,' she said. 'When I come to work, I wear Western clothing and eat American foods, including Slurpees. But when I go to a religious function, I usually dress in a shalwar, which is a long dress with pants underneath, and I wear a veil, as is the custom among Muslim women. Then I'm also more likely to eat the foods of our culture.' Mir is typically...behind the scenes, changing the filters on the coffee makers, for example, while her employees helped customers lined up at the register. The store has a staff of six, all natives of India or Pakistan. Although her customers might not understand the easy fit between a boss from the West Indies and her staff of Indians and Pakistanis, there are more similarities than meet the eye, Ms. Mir explained: 'We are all Muslims. We eat the same foods and share many of the same customs.'"