This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Accept
Sign In
The Texas Reporter
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Texas
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Books
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: A Social Media Influencer Supporting Afghan Women from Queens
Share
The Texas ReporterThe Texas Reporter
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Texas
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Books
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© The Texas Reporter. All Rights Reserved.
Lifestyle

A Social Media Influencer Supporting Afghan Women from Queens

Editorial Board
Editorial Board Published November 22, 2021
Share
A Social Media Influencer Supporting Afghan Women from Queens
SHARE

Zahra Sahebzada had a view of the Manhattan skyline long before she moved into her Long Island City apartment. “It was on my vision board a few years back,” she said. “I’m all about manifesting.”

Previously she was living in Hicksville, N.Y., on Long Island, where her family moved 20 years ago. Around 2016, she got into the habit of taking the 45-minute train ride into the city so she could go to Queens and stand at the water’s edge, staring at the skyline across the East River.

“It wasn’t just a magical city view,” Ms. Sahebzada said. “It was a view of hope. I always prayed, standing there, and I said, ‘God, I don’t know when, but allow me to live here one day.’”

Queens, after all, was where her family first landed in the United States when Ms. Sahebzada was 8. Her mother fled Afghanistan near the end of the Afghan-Soviet War, traveling ahead of her husband, and gave birth to Ms. Sahebzada in Nantes, France, where the family settled briefly. Undocumented and feeling unwelcome, they moved on to Hamburg, Germany, for a few years, before settling in Queens and eventually becoming U.S. citizens.

Sometimes on her sojourns back to the borough, Ms. Sahebzada would stop into the leasing office where the developer TF Cornerstone was welcoming applicants to fill 2,614 apartments along Center Boulevard. She knew she couldn’t afford to move into one — not yet — but each time she saw a new apartment it motivated her.

Ms. Sahebzada, now 31, splits her time between working as a special events manager for Tory Burch, the designer known for preppy and bohemian fashion, and as a social media influencer, known primarily for her makeup tutorials. She posted her first video in 2009. “At that time,” she said, “it wasn’t at all about monetizing it. It was a hobby that I really enjoyed.”

It took her a few years to get comfortable in front of the camera. “When you put yourself out there,” she said, “different opinions come in, and you have to build a thick skin. But that’s the beauty of being a content creator: You get to have an authentic, organic relationship with your audience.”

Eventually, she wanted to connect with a bigger audience, and was frustrated by how difficult that was. “It was never about asking, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ but instead asking, ‘How do I change the industry?’ That goes for the world of influencers and beauty and fashion — everything,” she said.

Ms. Sahebzada, who speaks five languages (English, Farsi, German, Hindi and Urdu), took note that there were far more tutorials in English than in Farsi, the language she grew up speaking: “So I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to take advantage of who I am — let me do it in my native language.’”

From there, her audience grew. Now nearly all of her videos are in Farsi, and 80 percent of her followers are in Afghanistan, most of them in Kabul. “Girls back in Afghanistan say to me, ‘You give me hope.’ Doors open for them, and that’s my main purpose,” she said. “It isn’t even about the makeup or the technique — it was more about having the courage to go on camera and identify as an Afghan woman.”

As she found success with her YouTube channel, Ms. Sahebzada became more serious about renting an apartment in Long Island City. She wanted to make it happen before she reached 50,000 followers on Instagram. In January, after she had 43, 000 followers, she signed her lease, and a few months later she posted a video celebrating 50,000 followers. (She now has 54,000 and counting.)

Her studio apartment is well lit but small; she had to be creative to squeeze in a Covid-era home office, living space and a good spot to film her videos. “I’m the editor, I’m the videographer, I’m the talent, I’m the IT department,” she said. “It’s a one-woman show, for sure.”

Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule

With the departure of the U.S. military on Aug. 30, Afghanistan quickly fell back under control of the Taliban. Across the country, there is widespread anxiety about the future.

The space where she makes her videos is adorned with personal effects and fashion statements, including a cross-body handbag with a brass-chain strap, Tory Burch pumps with metallic heels and a sketch of a young girl with her face turned backward — an image Ms. Sahebzada identifies with. “I wanted to give a feeling of being in my home.”

Sometimes she makes use of the building’s shared spaces — a roof deck, a lounge — to film her videos. She feels at home in the larger, diverse community that makes up the cluster of five high-rises. “I see people with my skin color, same religion and similar cultures. I don’t feel uncomfortable walking into the building,” she said.


$2,300 | Long Island City

Zahra Sahebzada, 31

Occupation: Ms. Sahebzada is a social media influencer and special events manager for Tory Burch.

Career path: After majoring in theater arts at Five Towns College, Ms. Sahebzada struggled to find her way. “As an Afghan-American woman,” she said, “it was very hard to break into that industry. So I had to create a space for myself and find my own audience.”

Benefits of a good boss: Ms. Sahebzada is grateful for the support her employer has shown Afghan women. “I’m incredibly honored to be working for Tory Burch,” she said.


Understand the Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan


Card 1 of 6

Who are the Taliban? The Taliban arose in 1994 amid the turmoil that came after the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. They used brutal public punishments, including floggings, amputations and mass executions, to enforce their rules. Here’s more on their origin story and their record as rulers.

Who are the Taliban leaders? These are the top leaders of the Taliban, men who have spent years on the run, in hiding, in jail and dodging American drones. Little is known about them or how they plan to govern, including whether they will be as tolerant as they claim to be. One spokesman told The Times that the group wanted to forget its past, but that there would be some restrictions.

Her favorite aspect of the makeup tutorials is what she sees as their empowering essence. “It’s not just about having a pretty face,” she said. “It’s about being confident. Because when you feel good, you do good.”

Ms. Sahebzada’s profile grew enough to catch the attention of producers at Tolo TV, one of the largest television broadcasters in Afghanistan. And in the spring of 2020, her tutorials became a regular Sunday morning segment. “I was trying to show the girls they can be themselves in whatever creative way they want,” she said.

Her role as an influencer has been her way of connecting to what she described as “the homeland I’ve never seen.” But that connection was severed last summer, as the U.S. military left Afghanistan and the Taliban regained control of the country.

Around the time of the withdrawal, Ms. Sahebzada received a late-night call from her producer at Tolo TV, telling her that the Taliban had informed the network that women were not to appear on the air until further notice — and Ms. Sahebzada had been singled out.

“The producer told me they specifically mentioned my name: ‘Zahra is forbidden to be on this program,’” she said. “I’m across the world. The fact that the Taliban knew my name, that was a scary thing.”

In September, after a few months away from social media, she started posting videos again. She is grateful that she still has access to these platforms, but she knows that much of her audience has been cut off from YouTube and Instagram.

“The fact that there is someone trying to shut the door on Afghan women — I am blessed to be in a safe space,” she said. “All I can think about are the girls who are there, who are not in a safe space.”


TAGGED:Lifestyle
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article New York’s Midcentury Art Scene Springs to Life in ‘The Loft Generation’ New York’s Midcentury Art Scene Springs to Life in ‘The Loft Generation’
Next Article Europe sees COVID-19 chaos amid new lockdowns Europe sees COVID-19 chaos amid new lockdowns

Editor's Pick

Sizzling Lady Summer time Begins within the Bathe—Right here’s Learn how to Prep Your Pores and skin

Sizzling Lady Summer time Begins within the Bathe—Right here’s Learn how to Prep Your Pores and skin

We might obtain a portion of gross sales if you buy a product by a hyperlink on this article. Most…

By Editorial Board 8 Min Read
Alpine’s Sizzling Hatch EV Has a Constructed-In, ‘Gran Turismo’ Model Driving Teacher

One other win over its Renault 5 sibling is a multi-link rear…

3 Min Read
Louis Vuitton Is Dropping a New Perfume As a result of It’s Sizzling | FashionBeans

We independently consider all beneficial services and products. Any services or products…

2 Min Read

Latest

“A Family’s Fight to Reclaim Their Legacy”

“A Family’s Fight to Reclaim Their Legacy”

Introduction: For generations, the Wright family has worked and lived…

July 9, 2025

AR Global Inc CEO Kason Roberts Donates to Support Kerrville Storm Victims, Mobilizes Team for Restoration Efforts

Kerrville, Texas — In the aftermath…

July 9, 2025

Bitcoin Tops $109,000 After Senate Passes Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ – “The Defiant”

The crypto market posted modest good…

July 9, 2025

Two vital hazard alerts within the June employment report – Indignant Bear

Two vital hazard alerts within the…

July 9, 2025

Simone Biles Thirst Traps in Bikini Amidst Boob Job Hypothesis

Studying Time: 3 minutes Simone Biles…

July 9, 2025

You Might Also Like

Deliver Again Boredom—The Case For a ‘90s-Impressed Summer season
Lifestyle

Deliver Again Boredom—The Case For a ‘90s-Impressed Summer season

This story is a part of The EDIT: Summer season Challenge. Our quarterly journal celebrates the rituals, recipes, and rhythms…

15 Min Read
Wholesome Dinners in 30 Minutes or Much less—Recipes That Are Saving Our Weeknights
Lifestyle

Wholesome Dinners in 30 Minutes or Much less—Recipes That Are Saving Our Weeknights

With regards to fast, wholesome dinner concepts, I’m normally on the hunt for one thing of the assembly-only selection. This…

16 Min Read
Nutritionist-Accepted Dietary supplements for Each Part of Your Cycle
Lifestyle

Nutritionist-Accepted Dietary supplements for Each Part of Your Cycle

We could obtain a portion of gross sales if you buy a product by way of a hyperlink on this…

13 Min Read
Sizzling Lady Summer time Begins within the Bathe—Right here’s Learn how to Prep Your Pores and skin
Lifestyle

From Crimson Mild to Chilly Remedy—These Are the Skincare Rituals Insiders Swear By

We could obtain a portion of gross sales if you are going to buy a product via a hyperlink on…

7 Min Read
The Texas Reporter

About Us

Welcome to The Texas Reporter, a newspaper based in Houston, Texas that covers a wide range of topics for our readers. At The Texas Reporter, we are dedicated to providing our readers with the latest news and information from around the world, with a focus on issues that are important to the people of Texas.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact Us

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© The Texas Reporter. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?