Westside Bazaar: Buffalo’s melting pot

The Westside Bazaar is a place where people in Buffalo can experience culture all in one place through food, clothing - and jewelry.

            Westside Bazaar’s business owners have progressed throughout the years in order to establish a brand. Now, it’s their time to shine.

Gysma Kueny is from South Sudan and she has been in Buffalo for 12 years. The name of her business is Gysma’s African Style.

Kueny sells jewelry, bags, shea butter, black soap, African fabric, scarves, home decor, and clothing.  “I started my own business because I decided to be independent and I wanted to start something for myself, “said Kueny.

Owning a business can be stressful but it brings joy to Kueny. “It makes me feel happy and I want to let other people who don’t know about South Sudan learn about our culture.”

“I’m here to show American people about our culture. We make things from newspapers. A lot of people throw away newspapers but in Africa me make necklaces out of it,” Kueny added.

Although Kueny’s products are based on the Sudanese culture, American’s also enjoy her products. “The majority of my costumers are American but I get a lot of people from my community in South Sudanese,” said Kueny.

Maung Moe, owner of Thin Yanant is from Burma. She has been in Buffalo for 5 years and she sells Burmese and Karen clothes and jewelry.

“I left my country in 2007 because of the politics and the Suja. My country looks like a movie now,” Moe said.

“My father and my brother were interviewed by a lot of Americans but now my family is in a refugee camp,” Moe added.

Moe displays the clothing made by refugees in her store. “In the refugee camps, people make clothing by hand. A lot of refugees that are Burmese and Karen make clothes without machines,” Moe said.

“The refugees usually make one sample, and then if I want more I have to make it myself or I can order it,” Moe added.

Costumers tend to buy her products during the holiday season. “I make small bags and people usually buy them and give to people for Christmas presents,” Moe said.

Unlike Kueny, Moe sells most of her products to Burmese and Korean people.

“I sell to a lot of Korean people and Burmese people.

“American people like the jewelry but sometimes American’s like the clothes. The Korean people usually buy clothes during the Korean New Year,” Moe said.

Buffalo is surrounded by culture from people all across the world. “I like to share my culture with American people,” said Moe.