家 Home (2024 -)
Participants:
Joel Palombo
Anja Berg Palombo
Thairat Sae-Lee
Thammarat Lee
Nopparat Sae-Lee
Boonyarat Sae-Lee
Anthony Wachira
Jedida Wachira
Maxwell Wachira
Gabriel Wachira
Vince Too
Cecilia Ndungu
Liza Verdugo
Christopher Samberg
Heaven Samberg
Iva Petkova
As an international individual since 2018, living in various countries and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds has become a central aspect of my life. Questions such as 'Where are you from?' or 'What does home mean to you?' have become a never-ending question and topic of discussion, especially when I am away from my home country, Taiwan. While it was once an easy question to answer, the frequent relocations and shorter durations spent in my home country have left me feeling confused about my identity over time.
I decided to create documentary portraits featuring families and individuals who have relocated to the United States and currently reside in Sarasota, regardless of whether they have obtained American citizenship or still hold their original nationality. I am interested in seeing how a family adapts and transit themselves in an environment that used to be foreign to them since they left their originated homelands.
I reached out and conducted a series of interviews with five families, Palombo (Italian American/German), Sae-Lee (Thai), Wachira (Kenya), Samberg (Mexican American), Petkova (Bulgarian), who relocated to Sarasota, capturing their experiences and stories through a series of documentary photographs and intimate interviews. Each interview spans approximately 6000 words (30 to 60 minutes), providing deep insights into the reason to come to the States including families' journeys, challenges, and sense of belonging to question the notion of home.
The goal is to illustrate the image of the home of different families from different cultural backgrounds but all share a common thing: they all left their home to establish a new home.
Special thanks to the families that participated in 家 Home (2024): Palombo, Sae-Lee, Wachira, Samberg, and Iva Petkova. Your willingness to allow me into your homes and share your stories has been a unique experience. Your generosity, kindness, and sincerity have inspired me to continue working on the topic of migration.
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Palombo
Joel Palombo (Italian American) & Anja Berg Palombo (German)
In 1988, Anja came to the USA for the first time in her 20s for education and met Joel, who was raised and born in Detroit. They have lived in Arizona, Turkey, and India, teaching and traveling with their two kids. In between, Anja went back a couple of times to her home country, Germany. Now, they reside in Sarasota and have lived in this house for more than 10 years.