BITTERSWEET: THE ASIAN-INDIAN EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S.A.

Focuses on Asian-Indian immigrants in the U.S. who discuss the complex social and personal issues involved in dealing with their dual cultural influences. To most outsiders, the idea of immigrating to America suggest the opportunity to get rich and lead the "good life," but those who undertake this journey, leaving behind their native communities for another culture, are often faced with larger issues than material well being. Interviews with a variety of Asian-Indian immigrants residing in the U.S.--including such notables as Professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and painter Mohan Samant--are combined with dramatic voice-overs and self-reflexive passages, all of which illuminate issues of cultural identity and the problems of defining community in an adopted land.

Directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee
1995, 42 minutes
Purchase: $310 Classroom Rental: $125

"A wonderful resource for examining the dislocation felt by immigrants in a foreign land."-Booklist (American Library Association)

"High school and college students in courses on Asian studies, sociology, and multiculturalism will benefit from this video. Asian-Indian students will appreciate the opportunity to hear others express their opinions about the complex issues involved in dealing with dual cultures."-School Library Journal

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