The Forgotten Faces of America - Part 1
When refugees are resettled to the United States, they are typically connected with an agency that facilitates their adjustment to their new lives. The flow of refugee arrivals usually keeps caseworkers swamped throughout the year, but it also forces agencies to stop helping some people after a certain period of time. Assuming, or maybe hoping that individuals are self-sufficient by that point, caseworkers eventually shift their energy and limited funding towards new refugees. As a result, some fall through the cracks, others latch onto what's familiar and carry on, but life does not get easier either way.
This portrait series seeks to elevate the faces and the environments of the individuals that are either lost in the system or are left behind all together.
Riverdale, MD, 24 November 2021 - In my pursuit to find refugee families to take part of this portrait project, I wandered through Parkview Gardens Apartments, a gated residential complex on the outskirts of Washington, DC. Hundreds of immigrants from every corner of the world are settled at Parkview Gardens. Among them is the Rai family, who graciously allowed me into their home to photograph them.
Budhi Rai (left) was born to a refugee family in Damak, Nepal and was relocated alone to Riverdale, MD in September 2013. He has lived in Parkview Gardens since then and now shares a three-bedroom apartment with six of his family members who joined him sporadically over the course of three years.
After a spinal surgery went wrong in 2015, Buddi lost his ability to walk. The surgery limited his opportunity to find work in the US and contributed to his reliance on family members for basic needs. Buddi doesn't leave the house very much.
Kal, a stoic family member who perhaps isn't calm and reflective by choice. He lost his hearing in an accident at a very young age. Communicating with the family was difficult, but with Kal it was impossible. I don't communicate in any form of sign language, and if I did, it would be American sign language, which he isn't fluent in. Getting close to Kal and allowing my lens to interact with his eyes and his body felt as if for a moment, I could understand him and he could understand me.
Leela, a mother, a sister, a caretaker and the backbone of the family. Ever since she reunited with the family in 2016, Leela served as the grounding support of the family by taking care of Buddi and Kaal. She also cooks and cleans for the family which limits her ability to work or pursue her own dreams.
Raaz Rai was born in the United States in 2015. With his tablet in hand at all times, his energy bounces across the walls as he curiously interacts with my camera. Raaz told me he wants to be photographer, but he never owned a camera before.
In the same vicinity where the Rai family lives, hundreds of refugee families journey through life in America at Parkview Gardens Apartments, a dynamic community that this portrait documentary series seek to explore more intimately.
