Lorelei Narvaja

Lorelei’s project, titled Amplified Heart, is a collection of stories, photographic portraits and music playlists of new immigrants to Philadelphia. The portraits will be installed at the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, accompanied by audio and print interviews about the experiences of new immigrants leaving their countries of origin and assimilating into the U.S. Questions about their experiences will focus on the music and songs that remind them of being home and those that are significant to their journey to Philadelphia. The music and interviews will be mixed and repurposed into an audio piece and an opening reception for the public will unveil this multimedia approach to storytelling.

Lorelei will create Writing to Reach You, a photo documentary and letter writing/storytelling project where 8 immigrant women in Philadelphia will be interviewed regarding their journey from their countries of origin to the U.S. in order to find work. There will be a specific focus on labor issues regarding immigrants and low-wage work; their experiences surviving under the duress of arduous work such as housekeeping or manual labor. Participants will be asked to share their experiences working and living far from their families for long periods of time. Photos will be displayed in a one-night public gathering, and letters written by these women to their families will be read during the gathering.

Lorelei will document an oral and photographic history of her Filipino female relatives in the United States—those who immigrated and those who were born here—exploring their experiences assimilating and resisting Western culture, the dichotomy of a traditional or Western life, and the notions of success and beauty. Lorelei will eventually produce a bound collection of essays accompanied by photographs that will also be shared through an exhibit of the photographs and an essay reading.