From The New York Times
Name Hoda Katebi
Age 23
Hometown Edmond, Okla.
Now Lives On the North Side of Chicago, in a two-bedroom apartment that she shares with a roommate.
Claim to Fame Ms. Katebi is the brains behind the politically charged fashion blog Joojoo Azad, in which she describes herself as a “sarcastic (and angry) Muslim-Iranian creative and community organizer.” The site frequently casts a spotlight on reductive media representations of hijab-wearing Muslim women and the environmental implications of, say, patterned rompers. “The power of how you dress and submit your body to public consumption really informs the way people engage with you,” she said.
Big Break During a January appearance on WGN News Chicago, to promote her self-published photography book, “Tehran Streetstyle,” Ms. Katebi was asked about Iran’s nuclear weapons and told “you don’t sound like an American” by the show’s hosts. (The anchors later privately called her to apologize.) A clip of the interview became a Twitter phenomenon and was reported on by publications including Glamour and The Guardian. “I think it was refreshing for people to see a person of color having a moment of truth on television,” she said.
