In this installment of AMA-UTA CreateCollab, senior Ayesha Hana Shaji explores the concept of belongingness in her original photo essay, Celebrating Onam 9,462 Miles Away.
Read more about our partnership below.
CELEBRATING ONAM 9,462 MILES AWAY
ABOUT MY PHOTO ESSAY
by Ayesha Hana Shaji
As a child of expats, I’ve struggled with the idea of identity and belongingness all my life. With the growth of globalization, this demographic is on the rise. When I think of knights in a modern context, I think of these folks. Folks who have left the comfort of their mother’s land in search of safety and security in a foreign place. The hardships that come with acculturating into a new society are not easy ones, but it is one that so many have mastered due to compulsion from their host culture among many others.
“Celebrating Onam 9,462 Miles Away,” tells the story of a couple of hundred Malayali students, all united by the language they speak, the cultural traditions they follow, the pain of being away from their kin, and the bliss of finding one another to make the pain a little more bearable. It is a story of folks creating a home away from home. It is the story of immigrants.
The story walks its audience through Malayali students at the University of Texas at Arlington celebrating Kerala’s harvest festival of Onam at the Maverick Activity Center. The festival is commemorated in honor of their beloved king, Maveli, a mythical demon king. If the innumerable folktales detailing the generosity of the ruler are not proof enough of the love Malayalis have for the king, Onam celebrations Malayalis all around the globe put on every year should be.
Moreover, for many, festivals like these are also an excuse to reflect and take pride in the fact that maybe they haven’t lost their battle to keep in touch with their roots even when 9,642 miles away.
Meet Ayesha Hana Shaji
Hi! I’m Ayesha Hana Shaji, an international student double majoring in psychology and journalism at the University of Texas at Arlington. I’m originally from Kerala, India but lived in different parts of the Middle East for over 18 years before moving to Texas for university. I love to travel and have been to 20 countries!
About AMA-UTA CreateCollab
Throughout the Fall 2022 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by “A Knight’s Tale.”
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and one-minute podcasts about themes as broad as sword fighting with light sabers, fulfilling family legacies, every day heroes, and modern metalsmithing.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith, who teaches the class, values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to re-enforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
