I am an Immigrant:
The Ballad of Human Movement

About us

This work was created by the Big Conversation Collective, an offshoot of the Big Conversation lecture series at The Other Side in Utica. The Big Conversation lecture series grew in dedication to the memory of community activist and artist Sunithi Bajekal (1933-2014).

The people involved in putting this work together are:

• Ana Jofre – Project production, web and graphic design, exhibition design, interviews.
• Sherman Stein – Project production, photography, exhibition design, interviews.

Photo film development services were provided by The Dunce Factory

Project Description

We recorded interviews with people in the region who have migrated here from elsewhere. Our subjects range from personal friends to strangers who graciously volunteered. All interviews were done in person and recorded with a hand-held device.

The interviews revolved around three questions:

• How did you get here?
• What obstacles (political, physical, or emotional) did you face in arriving here? What obstacles do you continue to face?
• In what ways do you feel comfortable here? In what ways do you feel uncomfortable?

In addition to the voice recordings, we captured a photograph at each interview. Participants in this project were given the choice to remain anonymous, so some participants chose to have meaningful objects photographed instead of themselves.

Following the interviews, Sherman photographed sites around Utica that were featured in people’s stories. All photographs were taken with an analog SLR camera.