Meet Ambreen Tariq the Founder of Brown People Camping
Photo Credit: Paulina Dao. Graphic Artist: Sarai Pak
Ambreen Tariq is the strong, vibrant, passionate creator and voice behind @brownpeoplecamping. Though incredibly busy with managing an online community, her full-time job, marketing for her new children's book, and her personal life, Ambreen was generous enough to chat about her role as a digital activist and how her experiences with the outdoors have shaped her into the person she is today.
“When we moved here, everything became a point of fear.”
Ambreen, a proud Indian Muslim American woman, immigrated with her family to the U.S. from India when she was only eight years old. Reflecting on the many challenges that go along with being thrown into a new country and a new culture, Ambreen noted, “you have a sense of imposter syndrome as an immigrant. You are seeking acceptance into a community and a society.” Though it was difficult for Ambreen to escape the isolation and fear in her new life in Minnesota, she was able to find joy in the outdoors during family camping trips.
Camping became a reprieve from the rest of the world as Ambreen was struggling to adjust to her new school and new surroundings. “All of a sudden, I felt like that child again that I used to be where I wasn't worried about what I looked like, nobody was making fun of me, I got to explore, things were just not as dangerous and terrifying.” These formative experiences stayed with Ambreen and fostered a respect and love for the outdoors that she felt was important to share with others.
Throughout her life, Ambreen has been an advocate for the environment and for outdoor spaces. “I want to protect it, I want it to be sacred, I want it to be pure for everybody.” By creating and growing Brown People Camping, Ambreen has not only addressed climate and environmental issues but has also tackled the lack of diversity in the outdoors.
“Diversity is important in every aspect of my life; the food I eat, the music I listen to, the art I consume, the movies I watch, the people I work with, my friends, my family, literally every single part of my life has diversity in it until I go into the outdoors. ”
Ambreen is not afraid to speak out about the startling lack of diversity and notes that she has to speak out quite often. “Nobody is stopping POC or diverse communities from getting outside”, is a comment that Ambreen sees all the time, as well as other gaslighting statements. These comments are “ignoring all the obstacles, all the historic trauma.” The history of BIPOC people in America is one steeped in violence.
Addressing that violence is necessary, and it is important to Ambreen to “be able to explore issues of fear, safety, and risk that people have to process when they go outdoors.” She continues to explore and address these issues with @brownpeoplecamping, as well as @outdoormuslims, a community Ambreen is helping to build for Muslim folks and allies. Outdoor Muslims connects hikers in the DC area and creates a safe and welcoming space for outdoor recreation.
Social media isn’t the only place Ambreen has used her voice. She recently wrote and released a children’s book, titled Fatima’s Great Outdoors. “Fatima represents children and people of so many different cultures and they have found themselves in her.” The book draws from Ambreen’s experiences as a child, but her hope is that it speaks to everyone in some way. It addresses many of the same issues she faced as an immigrant child in America and is valuable for children and people of all cultures to read.
Fatima’s Great Outdoors reflects how important camping with her family was to Ambreen and notes that since then, her “relationship with the outdoors has consistently become a deeper and deeper love affair.” This love affair grew from visiting gardens as a child in India, exploring nature with her family, and from moments as simple as walking her dog in the warm spring air. The feelings of gratitude and love for nature are ones we can all appreciate and be mindful of the next time we go outside.
To learn more about Ambreen and her work in diversifying outdoor spaces, follow @brownpeoplecamping and @outdoormuslims. Make sure to visit Ambreen’s website to grab a copy of Fatima’s Great Outdoors.
