Jewish Homegrown History: Immigration, Identity, and Intermarriage March 29, 2012

Come watch vivid moments from the everyday lives of ordinary families and see how Jewish home movies enrich California's multicultural story.

An immersive gallery installation that projects Jewish “homegrown movies” on three giant screens, Jewish Homegrown History uses home movies to explore the dynamic interplay between personal memories and collective history. The vibrant films document diverse immigration trajectories and the identity issues they raise. They emphasize the complex negotiation of rival allegiances to new locations and homelands left behind, and also the complex relations Jews forged with other ethnic communities within California. Unlike most other cultural histories of Jews, which begin in the East with Ellis Island, this exhibition focuses on the Jewish experience in the West, a reversal that enriches our understanding of the broader history of Jews in America.

Conceived and created by The Labyrinth Project, an art collective and research initiative on interactive narrative at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, the exhibition offers the opportunity to interact with Labyrinth's online multimedia archive specially compiled for the exhibition. Learn how you can add your own family stories and images to this expanding homegrown history and become engaged in preserving the cultural heritages of our families and our communities.

No reservations
Tickets available at the door