Portrait of refugee captures Fairfield story
A MAN whose experience will resonate with many in Fairfield is the star of an award-winning photograph.
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A MAN whose experience will resonate with many in Fairfield is the star of an award-winning photograph.
Asher Mendigorin recently won Fairfield City Council’s Capture Fairfield photography competition with a moving portrait of his father-in-law.
“I thought it was nice because it represents a lot of people who migrated to Australia and had a better life once they got here,” he said.
Indeed, Mr Mendigorin’s father-in-law has made a better life after years of struggle and uncertainty in his former homeland.
“He migrated here from Cambodia in 2007 as a refugee,” Mr Mendigorin said.
“My father-in-law lived as a farmer with his wife when the years of the Khmer Rouge caused unrest.”
Mr Mendigorin’s in-laws wound up displaced, and lived in limbo as refugees between the borders of Thailand and Cambodia.
“My wife tells the story that she and her brothers lived at the camp for about seven years,” Mr Mendigorin said.
“Two of her siblings were born and educated inside.”
At times, the family was forced to scatter into the woods during flares of violence, sometimes losing each other in the resulting chaos.
However, Mr Mendigorin says years of struggle no longer define his in-laws.
“Their story is not the typical story of becoming refugees and escaping to Australia,” Mr Mendigorin said.
“It’s the story of the refugee life they led, and their success story of eventually settling in the multicultural Fairfield area.”
Mr Mendigorin said his father-in-law’s defining success was the life he provided for his family. “My father-in-law’s success comes in the form of his hard work to provide for his family, and now his extended family,” Mr Mendigorin said.
“He now has four children and six grandchildren with another one on the way – everything has turned out really well for him.”
His father-in-law, far from the strife of his life as a young father himself, now lives comfortably in a granny flat behind Mr Mendigorin’s house in Bossley Park.
“Most days after work you can catch him on the couch with a VB in hand,” Mr Mendigorin said.
Mr Mendigorin said he was surprised but pleased by his Capture Fairfield success.
He only stumbled on the Fairfield City Council inaugural photographic competition after seeing the hashtag on Instagram.
“The photo I took wasn’t intended for the competition,” Mr Mendigorin said.
“I was just learning how to use my camera, and I thought he would be a good subject because we didn’t have many good pictures of him.”
The aspiring snapper, who shoots with a Nikon D800, said he was glad to be chosen for the award.
“It’s recognition for something I’ve been learning for quite some time now,” Mr Mendigorin said.
When residents think of Fairfield, they think smiling faces, Australian landscapes and, of course, amazing Asian food.
The winners of the inaugural Capture Fairfield photography competition took images that celebrated their local area.
Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said he was impressed by the entries.
“I hope the competition has inspired people to go outdoors and take in the beauty of our city,” Mr Carbone said.
“As I looked through each entry I felt great pride for our city and its people.”
The diversity category winners were primary student Natasha Win, secondary student Tina Tran, amateur photographer Asher Mendigorin and professional photographer Ryan Saez.
The discovery category winners were primary student Dibe Chaker, amateur photographer Vesna Arbanas, and professional photographer Alex Benetel.
Details: fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au
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