Duality of Being is an ongoing photojournalism project that documents the young adults living and studying in Canada as international students. This project includes written words in their own native language and environmental portraits in either a location or clothes that bring them comfort or familiarity. International students face many challenges such as expensive tuition, loss of connection to their homeland, and a long process of permanent residence application, in addition to unequal access to medical insurance and work opportunities. Unlike second-generation immigrants trying to relearn their origins, we international students try our best to maintain a connection to our homeland. This project references the politics of translation, decolonizing the western dominant language and narrative, as well as stereotypes of international students. Representing us, the community of international students and the experiences we share, this project is meant to be for an audience that finds comfort in seeing themselves in others.
