Stories of arrival
On migration, identity, and belonging
A collection of oral histories and films exploring how people build a life over time.
Context
These stories explore what it means to build a life in a new place.
Not as a single moment of arrival, but as something shaped over time through work, family, culture, and everyday decisions about how to move forward while staying connected to where you come from.
Each story is different. Together, they trace a common thread — creating something new while carrying something with you.
Many of these stories began during the pandemic, through extended conversations with people reflecting on the decision to leave one place and build a life in another.
I led outreach and conducted more than 80 long-form interviews across Mississauga’s immigrant communities, working with cultural organizations, families, and individuals to document experiences of migration, identity, and belonging.
Developed as part of a multi-year initiative supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the work focused on building a broad oral history archive — prioritizing depth of conversation over immediate publication.
Selected stories were later developed into films and written pieces, while others remain part of an ongoing and growing archive.
Selected Stories
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A broader collection drawn from ongoing conversations with people who have made their lives in Mississauga.
Together, they reflect a range of experiences — different paths, different histories, and different ways of creating a sense of belonging.
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ADDITIONAL STORIES
FROM THE SERIES
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A story of migration, family, and building something of your own.
Told through food and daily life, the film follows how one woman created a space that holds both where she came from and where she is now — not as something separate, but lived together.
→ Watch Film
EDAL'S KITCHEN
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A story of entrepreneurship, migration, and building a life through small business.
Rooted in family and daily work, it reflects how stability, identity, and connection are created over time in a new place.
→ Read Story
STORE OWNERS: ECUADORIAN COMMUNITY
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A story of family, continuity, and change across generations.
From its beginnings as a first-generation business to its growth into something larger, the story reflects how culture is carried forward, adapted, and redefined over time.
→ Watch Film
EAST INDIA COMPANY
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For creatives, brands, and artists seeking visuals with depth and atmosphere. These sessions blend refined styling with emotion-led storytelling—perfect for campaigns, lookbooks, or personal branding.
Starting at $950
Editorial
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An invitation to see place as story. These sessions document light, texture, and atmosphere—ideal for brands, artists, or collectors seeking a quiet, visual narrative of location and mood.
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travel
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FROM THE ARCHIVE
I’m particularly drawn to stories that explore identity, movement, and belonging — and to shaping narratives that reflect how people build a life over time.
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