...from Oregon

Currently viewing: Portland

Note: Viewers defined their own race and religious affiliation in open-ended demographic questions - this information is intended to show the diversity of our audiences.
"I feel like I've spent much of my time in college learning about race issues, about class issues, about gender issues, about race issues, in a purely academic setting, but it's rare that I actually feel such a profoundly emotional reaction to what I encounter in school, as I did to this movie. Thank you."

21-year-old female, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"Prejudice is everywhere. In my experience, I've felt discrimination regarding some issues that are not always recognized, mainly as someone with lower socioeconomic status and suffering from a mental illness. It's mostly just subtle comments, even from friends at times. One day, I saw on one of my best friend's online journals a long rant on how depression doesn't really exist and people should talk themselves out of it. This was about a year after I was diagnosed and was finally doing better on medication. There's just such a stigma about mental illness, and I wish people would be more open to actually learning about this and consider what effects their words have."

18-year-old female, white, agnostic, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"It's a wonderful educational tool -- I wish everyone in the U.S. could see it! I think that a national turban support rally would be a great idea! Maybe educate some people."

23-year-old female, Caucasian, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"I don't know really what to say about the film, apart from thank you for making it. From a British perspective I feel lucky that documentary film like this can open my eyes to an America that we don't study in the classroom, and all it means to be American, a question that is so important in the context of the U.S. as maybe not to the same extent in other countries. Thank you, for through all the hate and violence, making a film that ultimately gives hope."

20-year-old female, white, British citizen
Reed College
Portland
"Parts of the film remind me of my mother, and I feel more than a little guilt and embarrassment in admitting this. My mother was one of the people who, in fear of the moment, responded to the attacks with an instinctive fear and stereotyping as showcased in the film. My mother has always been afraid of the outsider, and after these attacks that fear and lack of connection became palpable."

18-year-old male, Caucasian, secular humanist, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"Thank you so much; your film was extremely invigorating for my sense of societal responsibility, and to my own sense of communal identity. I hope that as a consequence of your efforts that sense of homelessness that you spoke of, which plagues so many communities -- Black, Sikh, Jewish -- is eradicated."

18-year-old male, white, Renewal Jewish, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"I deeply appreciate the effort and thoughtfulness with which Valarie devoted herself to a project of such worthiness. Thank you for bringing a light and a new perspective to a range of difficult, painful issues... a light more people in the world, especially in America, need to see.

The only time I've ever been "profiled" was in Costa Rica -- on a sexual basis, not race-oriented.* I was constantly verbally assaulted with whistles, cat-calls, hisses, car-honks.

*well, maybe a little racial... I'm blonde. And even when they only saw me from behind and I wore baggy jeans and a sweatshirt, it happened."

24-year-old female, white (half-American, half-Danish), spiritual, American and Danish citizen
Reed College
Portland
"I don't have much to share other than deep appreciation for your energy to share, educate, and listen. This develops compassion and is the only way to create change. Thank you."

24-year-old female, Caucasian, agnostic, German-American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"Valarie,

I would just like to thank you. I'm sure you get this a lot, but you are so incredibly articulate, and you just radiate the most amazing amount of courage and love. I can tell what this journey has meant to you. Be well."

21-year-old female, white, Jewish heritage, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"The Japanese man's comments about the shame he felt after not marching with the Sikh community -- oh man. I cried and cried. So, really, the whole film moved me. (I didn't really stop - for some (obvious?) reason. Images of India kept the tears coming.) In any case, beautifully done, and good luck with the tour/release."

19-year-old female, Indian, Hindu, American citizen
Reed College
Portland
"I like the perspective you take in the movie. You keep the perspective realistic by the reality of your travels, but then you also present the stories the way they are. I especially like the turn back towards the end of the movie when you go back and interview the people and I was especially shocked by the murder of the brother (I forgot his name) of the first murder in Mesa."

21-year-old female, white, Christian Orthodox, Bulgarian citizen
Reed College
Portland
"Thank you. I won't forget your journey and film."

Zoe
18-year-old female, white, spiritual, American citizen
Reed College
Portland