Founder’s Vision

Syed Yaqeen is a documentary and editorial photographer and the founder of American Muslim Experience (AME). His work centers on belonging, identity and the role of storytelling in shaping how communities understand one another.

AME began as a long-term documentary project driven by a simple observation: “Despite the presence of millions of Muslims in the United States, our everyday stories are rarely represented in the public record”. Through portraits and recorded conversations, Syed began documenting the lives of American Muslims in order to create a more complete and human record of the community’s presence in the United States.

As the project expanded, it became clear that the work needed to move beyond a single photography project. The stories being collected pointed to a larger gap in cultural documentation and public understanding. In response, Syed founded American Muslim Experience as a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing these narratives through multimedia storytelling, exhibitions, educational programs, and the development of a contemporary archive of American Muslim life.

Creating AME as a nonprofit was also a way to open the work to others. Syed envisioned a platform that could support collaboration with community storytellers, photographers, writers, and organizations across the country. By building an institution rather than a personal project, the goal is to create something that serves the community and continues to grow beyond the work of any single individual.

Syed has documented communities in cities including Austin, Dearborn, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, Victoria, TX and continues to expand to other cities. The project brings together portraits, recorded interviews, audio, and community contributions to reflect the wide range of identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences that shape American Muslim life today.

His photography has been exhibited at institutions including the New York Public Library, the Tenement Museum in New York City, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Photoville in Brooklyn and recently at Patton-Malaott Gallery in Snowmass, CO. His work has received multiple Honors of Excellence from WPPI and has been published in numerous publications.

Through American Muslim Experience, Syed is building a growing archive of photographs, interviews, audio recordings, and community contributions that document contemporary American Muslim life. The archive is designed to serve communities today while preserving these stories for future generations. By working with storytellers, educators, and cultural institutions, AME aims to ensure that these histories become part of the broader American narrative and remain accessible for generations to come.

Working nationally, Syed continues to photograph, record, and collect stories that contribute to a deeper understanding of the American Muslim experience.