Nisei
Immigrating to a new country and seeking a better life and better opportunities inherently shapes not only individuals but family dynamics as well. This semester I have been exploring the impact of immigration on first and second generation Americans, particularly in terms of parent-child relationships.
I have interviewed and photographed individuals from 14 different countries. Across all countries and cultures I have found that parents want a better life for their children. While children have some understanding and appreciation for their parents’ sacrifice in immigrating to the United States, each also feels a unique pressure to succeed because of these many sacrifices.
As a second generation American myself, I have found great solidarity in hearing the experiences of other children of immigrants. Through my interactions with the parents I have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the complexity of the immigrant experience..
The wet plate collodion process that I use is raw and unique, producing a one-of-a-kind, direct positive image that is unalterable. This process takes significant time and patience. Each of the individuals you see here played an active role in the darkroom with me as I processed the images in real time. Having been trusted with their time, presence, and story, I feel an immense responsibility to portray these people with dignity and respect. Having them alongside me in the darkroom to witness their image appearing and to give final approval for the way they are being depicted has been a great priority in this process. Unlike past depictions of the immigrant experience, having these people feel that they have agency over the way they are seen and represented has been of the utmost importance to me.
In the installation, viewers could hear audio from the interviews, highlighting the layered complexity of the immigrant story—from hopes, desires, and struggle from the first generation parents, to pressure, expectations, respect, and frustrations from the second generation children.
