Integrating with the customs and culture of a new land is not easy, especially when trying to stay connected to one’s roots. On September 8th, 2018, Asian Americans of all ages gathered at A-Plus Medical Daycare Center to watch The Balancing Act, a documentary created by CAPA Junior Reporting Club members and directed by former CAPA JRC co-president Alisa Gao. The documentary is a collection of senior Chinese American citizens describing their hardships in America as an Asian-American.
CAPA JRC with interviewees. Photo by Lucy Wu.
Starting from November 2017, the CAPA-Junior Reporters Club began working on the The Balancing Act in honor of Asian-Pacific Heritage Month. In order to produce their masterpiece, young reporters of all ages spent more than half a year interviewing, filming, and editing.
“I really enjoyed it, I liked how there were so many diverse stories. It wasn’t just one Chinese American story, there was a wide variety.”
The documentary is approximately 45 minutes long and the audience enjoyed the many viewpoints the interviewees shared about their life. Jasmine Lee, a college student, shares her thoughts on the documentary: “I really enjoyed it, I liked how there were so many diverse stories. It wasn’t just one Chinese American story, there was a wide variety.”
Dani Feng, a student at Wootton High School, says, “It was interesting that we get to hear and learn from their experiences and hopefully it will be a better society where there’s less discrimination.”
Audience intently watching the film. Photo by Lucy Wu.
Many students who viewed the documentary also felt the nostalgia and insight the interviewees had to share. Joseph, a 9th grader from Winston Churchill High School said, “CAPA JRC did a great job creating and presenting this documentary to the audience. The documentary was very good; I got to understand Chinese culture better from this documentary.”
The CAPA JRC documentary The Balancing Act premiere was a huge success and a day to remember. Not only did viewers get to experience bridging Chinese and American culture, but they also felt the immigration mindset of individuals. As Kaylin Witonski remarked, “ The personal journey to understand yourself through other people, I think that’s a really profound idea.”
This article was provided by Chinese American Parents Association Junior Reporter Club (CAPA JRC) with members who interviewed, audio recorded, wrote, translated, and video recorded. CAPA JRC has 19 Montgomery County middle to high school students. They have created a bilingual platform delivering news and serving the community.
Instagram: @capa_jrc
Blog: https://capajrc.org
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