PROBLEM
The Maine nonprofits Seeing for Ourselves and Generational Noor have observed that public perceptions of Maine’s immigrant communities are outdated and unduly negative, which Generational Noor feels has impacted the health and wellness of the individuals in these communities. We two nonprofits decided to partner to address this situation, leveraging our practice of participatory photography and the latter’s long service on behalf of these communities.
APPROACH
This project aimed to rewrite outdated perceptions and reveal the stories of resilience, creativity, and hard work that define the immigrant experience in Maine. Members of the immigrant communities were the participants, while the primary audience was the state’s general public.
By changing the public narrative about Maine’s immigrant communities, this project promoted the health and wellness of these individuals, who would no longer be burdened by negative stereotypes that hold them back. By training participants to take on the task themselves through their new imagery and by having them assist in its promotion, the project provided an invaluable learning experience in effecting social change and bettering one’s circumstances.
Finally, by in this way promoting the health and wellness of Maine’s immigrant communities, which constitute a vibrant and unique population, this project promoted overall health and wellness in the state generally.
The first gallery exhibit was staged at LA/Arts in Lewiston, Maine in August 2025, where a short documentary about the initiative was screened. A second exhibit went on display at Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth, Maine in December 2025. The project documentary was aired by Maine Public in February 2026 and then featured in the Home Is Distant Shores Film Festival in North Carolina in May 2026.
