Introduction and Reflection
For the Documentary Unit, we were tasked to zero in on a person, group, place, idea, or issue and gather primary and secondary research sources to develop a distinct perspective about their subject’s significance in the community and/or world. In English we developed a research-based paper which aided us in creating a 10-page magazine article in Design.
For my topic, I decided to do a profile on my father’s immigration story from India. I had a difficult time during this unit picking and sticking with a topic. My original idea was to discuss the issue of homelessness specifically focusing on the hardships and defying the stereotypes, but due to COVID-19, I felt it was not the right time for me to hold interviews as I was unable to leave my house and its an extremely stressful and difficult time for front-line workers and homeless people. I switched my topic to something I was still passionate about and much more accessible to me- my dad’s immigration story. Immigration to America has held many issues and controversial topics, and I believe many Americans are uninformed on what legal immigration is actually like and why we should change certain laws when it comes to immigrating. I am a strong believer in autonomy and I think that before having an opinion on this topic, you should inform yourself more about the issue and understand both perspectives.
This was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever completed because I was able to learn so much about my family and my roots, and it gave me a much more special connection to my extended family members. Now, I think I am able to comprehend my privilege a lot better, and have a greater sense of gratitude and respect towards my father and his direct family, as well as immigrants around the US and those who do not have the opportunity to immigrate.
English Production
For English, I wrote a 10 page paper on my dad’s story including research to relate the topic to outside experiences of Indian immigrants. My process began with primary and secondary research on the topic of immigration as well as my dad’s immigration story. After researching more on the topic and thinking about what I already knew about my dad’s immigration story, I created a list of questions for my three interviewees: Sandeep Sardana (my father), Brahm Sardana (his father), and Sanjeev Sardana (his younger brother).
Interviewee Bios
Sandeep Sardana is a Venture Capitalist in San Mateo. He started his current Venture Capitalist firm, BluePointe Venturers, in 2013 along with his brother. He is also a father of two daughters, Saanya and Avni Sardana, and a husband to Manju Sardana. He was born and raised in a city called Punjabi Bagh in New Delhi, India. He and his family immigrated to America in 1985, after he had graduated high school when he was 18 years old.
Brahm Sardana is a father to Sandeep Sardana, Sanjeev Sardana, and Sudha Devraj as well as a husband to Meera Sardana. He is currently retired and living in Atlanta, Georgia, but he had previously worked as a senior accountant at The American Embassy, New Delhi for 25 years which granted the Sardana family green cards to immigrate to the US so quickly.
Sanjeev Sardana is a Wealth Manager in San Mateo at BluePointe Capital Management. He is a father to Neel and Tara Sardana, and is currently engaged to his fiancĂ©, Nisha Patel. He is Sandeep Sardana’s younger brother and immigrated to the US along with the rest of his family when he was 16 years old.
Design Production
In Design, I created a 10-page magazine article using Adobe InDesign. The text is derived from my Documentary Paper in English and the Graphic Design Elements are my own creations for Adobe Illustrator that I produced to relate the the text. There are also many different kinds of photos, the majority being from my father’s time immigrating.
Process
Mood Board
Before developing the article, we were tasked to brainstorm ideas through a mood board collecting color schemes, font ideas, and overall themes for the article.
Workspace
Photogallery
Here are some photos I collected and took for my project: