Colombian immigrants in Vancouver: The making of ethnographic video, "Vancouver: The longest journey of our lives

The crisis in Colombia in the 1990s was so acute that many members of the middle and upper classes opted to leave their country rather than risk their families’ safety. This project focused on upper-class Colombian families immigrating to Vancouver in 1999 when violence escalated: eight were interviewed in 2003-4 and two families spoke in detail on camera. I analyzed the effect of displacement on the structure of these families in terms of redistribution of power, changing gender roles, and adaptation to new lower status occupations. This research includes an ethnographic documentary, and this accompanying report discusses how it was made. These Vancouver cases are atypical of most immigration to Canada since they are whole families and wealthy families. Though little critical attention has been paid to the socio-psychological aspects of migration, this study shows how it profoundly affects individuals within families.