MIGRATION STORIES
From Punjab to the World.
Film and resources about how gender and identity shape the decision to migrate — a story far more complex than we’re often told.
Films
Our films explore the relationship between gender, household decision making, and international migration from Punjab, India. Emphasis is also on understanding identity construction of the Punjabi, mostly Sikh, men and women both in the United States and the Punjab and its connection to decision making regarding international migration.
Locating Women's Boundaries
What influences women's decisions about migration?
We meet three women, Jasvinder, Virendar and Prabhat. All three have made different decisions in their lives regarding migration. These decisions are embedded in a matrix of familial considerations, economic considerations and their location within society.Also see our companion film, The (Im)mobility of Men, where we meet their spouses.
Contact us to request a screener.
The (Im)mobility of Men
What influences men's decisions about migration?
Sarbmeet, Gurmeet and Jagjeet, have made very different choices about migration. These decisions have occurred in the context of their particular familial background, and the needs and aspirations embedded in their particular location.All three men are married to the women, who are the subject of our film, Locating Women’s Boundaries.
Contact us to request a screener.
Resources
Resources for students, teachers and communities.
Study guide for use in the classroom. This has a etc. etc
Punjab Journal - a chronicle of our research trip through Punjab.
Our work was supported by the University of Minnesota's Sustainable Development Goals Research Grant through the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance (GPS Alliance). Resulting in the project, Outbound/In.
We are available for in-person screening and speaking engagements. Contact us.
Purchase
You'll be provided a file for download, a DSL and PPR license, and a study guide.
| Title | License Period | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Locating Women's Boundaries | Life of File | $265 |
| The (Im)mobility of Men | Life of File | $265 |
| Both together | Life of File | $495 |
For purchases and screenings in a corporate or non-profit setting contact us.
Team
A shared interest in Punjab brought the creators of this project together. Diditi Mitra had done her Phd work on Punjabi Taxi cab drivers in New York City. This work eventually found expression in her book, Punjabi Immigrant Mobility in the United States.Shashwati Talukdar's work on her film, Wall Stories, about the mural painting of Garhwal prompted curiosity about Punjab, Sikh history and culture. An area and community that has made a foundational contribution to her home town of Dehradun.The collaboration took its final shape when Nida Sajid joined the team. Nida's work on South Asian religions, and her pedagogical interest in collaborative and cross-disciplinary work gave Migration Stories its final shape.
Diditi Mitra
Diditi Mitra (she/her/hers) is Professor of Sociology at Brookdale Community College. Mitra’s research focuses on race and immigration. She has authored Punjabi Immigrant Mobility and coedited Race and the Lifecourse. Mitra has published in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as in popular outlets too. Diditi serves on the editorial board of Sikh Research Journal. Previously, Mitra has served as an officer at various professional organizations, like Eastern Sociological Society, Mid Atlantic Regional Association for Asian Studies, and American Sociological Association. Mitra has been a volunteer teacher in prisons too. Diditi derives pleasure and takes much pride in being a Kathak dancer and teacher. Diditi Mitra holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Temple University.
Shashwati Talukdar
Shashwati Talukdar is known for her documentary, fiction and experimental films which have screened in festivals and galleries all over the world including Hot Docs, the Busan International Film Festival, Margaret Mead Festival, and the Whitney Biennial. She has received support from the Tribeca Foundation, Asian Cine Fund in Busan, India Foundation of the Arts, Jerome Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts among others. She has an MFA in Film and Video Arts from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA and an MA in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. She has taught at NYU, Arcadia and Temple University in the US. She also writes plays and occasionally dabbles in more scholarly writing. She lives between Taiwan and India . For more go here.
Nida Sajid
Nida Sajid teaches in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is an interdisciplinary scholar of South Asian studies and transnational intellectual history with a fcus on postcolonial theory, cultural studies and humanist philosophy. Her work connects religious studies with global histories of migration to create opportunities for an intercultural dialogue on the meaning of transnational identities. She also writes on human rights and religion from an intersectional perspective with specific focus on South Asia. Dr. Sajid is also actively involved in building programs with new immigrant communities and forging innovative community-engaged research in institutions of higher education.
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