Growing up in Jersey City, and being a student at Rutgers Newark, I’ve pretty much grown up in diversity. I was able to make friends of many cultures, taste different cuisines, and see the different areas of the town and city with different demographics.
For my semester project, I want to do a photo series on intercultural couples. Through this project, I want to share the beauty of intercultural relationships, as it used to be taboo, and in some cases still frowned upon. What I intend to do is to photograph couples from my networks, and showcase love through diversity and culture.
This project was inspired by another photo series done by Qozop. Artist Qozop photographs Asian youths with their elders swapping clothes to contrast the difference in generations. I wanted to turn this project and make it my own by making it culturally themed, and contrasting the difference in cultures coming together as one.
I also want to shed light that things like this still bother people today. For example, one case of intercultural marriage or dating that was highly criticized was Tamera Mowry who married Fox News correspondent, Adam Housely. In an interview on Oprah: Where Are They Now, Tamera reveals the hate that she has been receiving for being in this relationship.
Additionally, I would to get into some study on the uprising of intercultural marriages. “Intercultural marriages in the United States have been steadily increasing over the past three decades (Frame, 2004; Ibrahim and Shroeder, 1990; Kalmijn, 1993; Molina, Estrada, and Burnett, 2004; Negy and Snyder, 2000; Qian and Lichter, 2007; Waldman and Rubalcava, 2005). In 2000, for example, 7.4% of all married-couple households and 15% of all opposite-sex unmarried-couple households involved partners of different races or origins “ (857).
Lastly, aside from outside my photos, I will interview the subjects in the photographs about their own experiences. Such as learning about each other’s cultures, gettings used to each others views, and etc. It will also be a platform in which the couple can show who they are, and what they personally find beautiful about their intercultural relationship.
My overall message is that love is what bridges two different different people together. The two may be different in contrast, but one thing is common, and that’s love.
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Mercer, Amirah. "Apparently Society Still Can't Handle Interracial Marriage."Mic. N.p., 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
Silva, Lucian C., Kelly Campbell, and David W. Wright. "Intercultural Relationships: Entry, Adjustment, and Cultural Negotiations." Journal of Comparative Family Studies. N.p.: Dept. of Sociology, U of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, 1974. 857-70. Print.
Qozop. Spring-Autumn Series. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.facebook.com/qozophoto/photos/?tab=album&album_id=296003670524853>.
Take advantage of "in the moment" opportunities where you see cultures mesh together.
ReplyDeleteFrank,
DeleteI know I suggested in class maybe you should bring in different cultures into the mix, but I actually changed my mind. It would be nice id you were to keep it between an Asian (and someone else). I strongly believe that Asians are veryyyyy underrepresented in the media, so maybe you can use this platform to give them that voice. Also, I know it's only a photo you used for your project summary, but I agree with what you said in class...maybe it wouldn't be the best thing to do the "gender swap" (with the clothes), or not yet... Have them wear each other's cultural attire, and then maybe in another series, you can address the whole concept of gender swapping because the two are different topics, and I wouldn't want to over shadow the other. However, that's only my two cents, but regardless you are going to do well. Let me know if you need help with anything.
I really like this idea. I think you should include a video of following a couple having dinner with their families and tape the reactions during the dinner as they may have culture shock or interesting talks.
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