A Nation of Opportunit, 2009
Single Channel Video, DV, 4min 21s, Color/Sound
Many immigrants come to the United States, “the land of opportunity”
[1], seeking the typical American dream representing a better, richer, and happier life
[2]. However, people who immigrate to find the promised opportunity commonly face a turbulent situation
[3] as they strive to adapt to the host country.
Although immigrants know that they are vulnerable to psychological
damage, most choose to bear these difficulties and take risks to KEEP
their opportunities: a better life, a better job, a better education.
This ironic situation in which many immigrants are wiling to sacrifice
their daily life to keep the opportunities of a better, richer and
happier life has made me suspicious of the idea of opportunity. The
special situation of immigrants allows us to see a contradiction
between idea and reality. However, this case does not solely belong to
immigrants. It is also a formula for non-immigrants to have to work
hard to find better opportunities. A question mark simultaneously
popped up in my mind; “Why do modern capital systems emphasize the idea
of ‘opportunity’ so much?” “Who are real beneficiaries from the
emphasis of the idea?”
I slowly became aware that the idea of opportunity, one of the most
powerful modern belief systems, plays a key role in controlling and
exploiting citizens in our contemporary society. Operating in a similar
manner, the ruling classes of the feudal age used belief systems, such
as religion, that temporarily helps to relieve believers’ pain,
providing them with hope, in order to govern and exploit peasants
[4]
Like religious practice, the surface pursuit of opportunity can prevent
people from looking at the reality in their life. The idea of
opportunity forces people to endure hardship in the present time,
promising rewards in the future, justifying their current suffering.
Methodology and Process
In order to research more general perception of the idea of opportunity
besides my own understanding, I closely investigated the life of
immigrants near the Cambridge, Massachusetts area where I live [
Map].
The purpose of this research is to confirm the idea of opportunity as
myth, to trace the relationship between the myth construction and the
power structure, and to investigate the idea of opportunity through
studies by sociologists such as Karl Marx. I conducted a
visual ethnography
project for the research, interviewing the immigrants and observing the
site. Finally, as the product of this research, I chose to combine
visual ethnography and montage technique, which would effectively make
the tense contradiction between the chasing of opportunity by the
immigrants and the masking of reality by hegemonic power.
During the field study, I used ethnographical methodologies such as
interviews and direct site observation with video recording equipments.
The interviewees were selected to reflect the diversity in occupation,
age and gender. Most of the interviewees I already met in everyday life
in stores, diners, restaurants, and classrooms. The structure of the
interview was basically I asking the questions and the interviewees
answering. The basic questionnaire was prepared, but the question could
be flexible according to the context of the conversation. The location
of interview was the workplace of the interviewee unless it was not
allowed. During the recording of the interview, I chose to use
different framing for video and audio. The audio focused on the
mouth—the voice—of the interviewee, while the video framed the
different angles in the same location that would reflect the political
and economical situation of the interviewee. The interview typically
lasted about half an hour to a full hour, except the test interview
which lasted two hours.
Following is the questionnaire that was used at the interview:
Profile:
Can you tell me your name?
When did you come to the United State, from where?
How long have you been staying here since you came to here?
Opportunity:
Why did you make a decision to come to the U.S.?
Why here (the U.S)? Why not other countries?
What was your first impression (during the first or second weeks) when you came to the U.S.?
Why did you decide to stay in the U.S. and not return to your home country?
Job / Professional:
What kind of jobs do/did you have now or in the past?
How many hours do you work a week (or a day)?
If you spend more hours than the average labor hours, can you explain why?
Are you satisfied with your daily life in the United States, compared to your life in your home country?
If you are satisfied or not, can you tell me why?
[1] ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French opportun(e), from
Latin opportunus, from ob- ‘in the direction of’ + portus ‘harbor,’
originally describing the wind driving toward the harbor, hence
‘seasonable,’ Merriam-Webster dictionary.
[2] “Better”, “Richer”, and “Happier Life” expressed by the American writer James Truslow Adams.
[3] According to the book, “Ethnicity, Immigration, and Psychopathology,”
written by Ihsan Al-Issa and Michel Tousignant in 1997, immigrants
often suffer through various stressful conditions such as social
isolation, identity issues and culture shock. Recent medical research
indicates that these traumatic situations can result in mental break
down in immigrants.
[4] Karl Marx, Nouveau Parti “To suppress religion, which provides an
illusory happiness, is to establish the claims of real happiness”, 1884.
