“America is a melting pot” you often hear people say. Different cultures, religions, and ethnicities all living side by side to make up the diversity we see in our everyday lives. There is no one way to be “American.” Taking on this label could mean you’re an immigrant, or it could mean your family has lived here for generations. And while this identity encompasses many different perspectives, sometimes defining and taking ownership of that identity can be tricky. Beyond societal pressures to fit in with the majority and cultural standards for how to dress, eat, and behave, there are also institutional gatekeepers that police who can enter the country, and even who can call themselves a citizen. Despite the welcoming nature of our melting pot ethos, finding our place in this world can be a difficult task.

Our latest crowdfunding picks highlight how being different influences the way others define us, as well as how we define ourselves. All three of these stories offer a unique perspective on what it is like to be met with an unfamiliar culture, and how our family histories influence us.

Short “Turning the Tables” tackles the family separation crisis by taking us into the lives of a fictional family and their struggle to seek asylum in a hostile adoptive country.

Jackie Dallas’ “Proud,” another short, draws from her personal experiences of growing up in a town where she looked completely different from everyone else to detail the toll that takes on how you see yourself and your culture.

Finally, “Birthright?!” is an exciting and emotional journey that gives us a look into the background of Cuban-American music duo Afrobeta as they take their first trip to Cuba.

Here are Women and Hollywood’s newest women-created and women-centric crowdfunding picks.

“Turning the Tables” (Short) – Written and Directed by Jay Rowan Tanner

Family separation and the detention of immigrant children has been one of the most shocking stories uncovered in the 2018 news cycle. Descriptions and images of young children housed in grossly inadequate facilities, and families torn apart without notice, have been circling social media, sparking outrage, calls to action, and a plea for compassion with questions such as, “What if it was your family?” The film builds on this idea and asks audience to reflect on this question.

In this short film, writer-director Jay Rowan Tanner imagines a family that is forced out of their home and must seek refuge in a foreign country. However, the road to their new life is paved with difficulty, especially when they are met with judgement and suspicion  Tanner, an immigrant herself, explains more about the catalyst for the project saying, “I wrote this film while driving along the border on a road trip from California to Texas during the height of the family separation crisis. I felt helpless. As a mother, my heart broke for the families. I was angry. This wasn’t the life I imagined when I immigrated to the United States.”

“Turning the Tables” is an important effort in documenting and highlighting the political emergency of family separation at the Mexican border. It’s also a reminder that this problem goes beyond just keeping children away from their parents. There is an enormous, lasting impact of family separation, and the trauma of being ostracized when all you are looking for is a new place to call home. This is a film which forces us to explore where our empathy begins and ends, and calls on us to do better.

Donate to “Turning the Tables” on Indiegogo.

“Proud” (Short) – Written and Directed by Jackie Dallas

Being first or second generation American can often be a confusing experience. Usually, you’re growing up in a family with a cultural identity that is vastly different than the majority of your hometown. You’re constantly straddling an in-between where you don’t quite fit in on either side of the divide. “Proud” is a story that speaks to this experience and how the desire to feel accepted can affect your life in big ways.

“Proud” is about Lina, a young Asian woman taking a flight to the U.S. As with most stories, the focus in on the journey, not the destination. While Lina makes her way to America, we see that her identity is scrutinized in a variety of ways, inspiring us to consider what it’s like to move through a world that always sees you as different.

The film is written and directed by Jackie Dallas, and centers around many of her own experiences of growing up as a second generation Asian-American. Dallas was the only Asian girl in her entire elementary school. Other kids would call her “Jackie Chan,” making fun of her features. As Dallas puts it, “The film depicts normal, everyday encounters that ranged from innocent curiosity to malicious discrimination, and how these events lead me to initially reject my heritage before learning to embrace it.” In a world where we are still fighting for diversity on our television and movies screens, “Proud” is an important look at how the pressure to assimilate to the majority leads us to reject the parts of ourselves that should be celebrated. Representation matters, and this film is a wonderfully nuanced portrait of what it means to grow up feeling different. 

Help make “Proud” a reality by donating via Seed & Spark.

“Birthright?!” (Documentary) – Directed by Jayme Gershen

Directed by Jayme Gershen, “Birthright?!” tracks the Miami-based husband-and-wife electro-pop duo Afrobeta as they explore their family histories and cultural identity on their first trip to Cuba, their parents’ home country. It is a film exploring the rich culture of Cuba and the Cuban people, but one which also looks, through the lens of their parents, at the country’s turbulent history under a communist regime. 

The charismatic couple is fun to follow on their own, and their lively musical stylings will have you hooked from the beginning. But the central arc of “Birthright?!” has a lot more to do with what it means to define yourself when your experiences growing up are drastically different than those of your family. How do you reconcile your ancestral history with who you are today? As Cuci Amador, one half of Afrobeta puts it, “We’re going to Cuba because it’s our calling, it’s our birthright, it’s that thing that we have to to do to complete the circle of who you are. You gotta know where you came from to know where you’re going.”

Check out “Birthright?!” on Seed & Spark.

To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to womenandhollywoodinterns@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.