Though we are a nation of immigrants, we are not always equal. With each wave of new arrivals, immigrants are often seen as “servers” to those who have come before them.

My immigrant mother served her community in the grandest way possible: giving life. She was an OBGYN and delivered over 3000 children in our small town in Pennsylvania. At any given time the population is only 10,000, meaning in an obtuse way, she is responsible for bringing 1/3 of the population into the world.

When Sarla Kapoor joined the hospital in 1977 she was the only doctor that was an Asian immigrant, caring for a population that is 92% white and working class. Asians make up less than 2% of the population. She retired after 34 years, devoting the entirety of her career to serving this community. She still lives there today.

Although my mother and many of her patients are on opposing sides of the issues of our day (i.e. immigration, travel bans), they coexist, contributing to a shared future for the community they all inhabit. This nuance, I hope, can inspire the bridging of these divides in a political and social climate which has increasingly become polarized.

"Modern Country Doctor" reflects on this history with the help of contemporary portraits, family album photographs, handwritten letters, projection and microfilm from old newspapers.

---

Modern Country Doctor was commissioned by Leica Camera and 1854. It first appeared in The British Journal of Photography.