Remarkable Journey: The Voices of North Carolina South Asian Indian Americans
Remarkable Journey: Voices of North Carolina South Asian Indian Americans is a documentary film and educational toolkit that outlines the history and migration of South Asian Indian Americans to the United States, particularly the American south. With a focus on this large and growing population, the film will explore how the educational, religious and cultural backgrounds of these immigrants, many of whom came in the 1960's, played a significant role when they arrived and how the culture and traditions carried with them continued to influence their lives and those of their families once they settled in a new land.
We'll also get to know the "first generation" children – those raised in households where Indian/Eastern and American/Western culture and values contended with one another; the ones who still question, "Who are we, and how do we identify ourselves?" And what happens as these children begin their own families, sometimes marrying outside of their faith and/or ethnic background? We will also better understand how the sacrifices of their parents propelled many of them forward toward prosperity and success.
The film is intended for broadcast on UNC-TV, and for web and educational distribution to schools, libraries and colleges. It will be offered for PBS broadcast and distributed with a web-based new teaching guide to schools. Investments in the project will be tax-exempt gifts through our 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, the Southern Documentary Fund.
Production Team
Producer/Writer Shaheen Syal brings more than twelve years of professional experience to this project. She has worked in various aspects of television news and video production, most notably as a Producer/Writer for the Emmy award-winning series, NC Wanted. She currently works as the Director of Communications and Outreach for the e-NC Authority, a statewide initiative charged with linking all North Carolina citizens and businesses to high-speed broadband.
With a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Producer/Director Dr. Steven Channing brings a distinguished career as historian and filmmaker to creating a fresh look at the story of North Carolina's history (see www.videodialog.com). His award-winning films include the regional Emmy winning Alamance, the Civil Rights classic February One, Durham: A Self-Portrait, and Down Home on the story of Tar Heel Jews. All of these have recently been broadcast on UNC-TV, and companion-teaching guides distributed to schools statewide.