Fili’s world

It has become a reality - Israel has its own Little Asia in the heart of Tel-Aviv. Up till a few years ago, Israel only had a few Asian immigrants that Israel embraced when they escaped from horrors in their own country , but in the past few years, ever since Israel has significantly decreased Palestinians coming in due to security considerations, Asians have been allowed to come and work in Israel, forming a completely new society within.

Seems like Israeli fascination with Asians is contagious as one of my friends - Yael Elad - has started a new project in photography - Asian foreign workers in Israel. Every Friday and Saturday the Asian foreign workers get together in a Tel-Aviv neighborhood to hang out and do some shopping. Here is a bit from the visit :

If it wasn’t for the occasional Hebrew, there was no way of telling this is really in TelAviv and not in China or Manila. I’ve seen crowds of Philippians in Jerusalem’s downtown and the occasional Chinese pals walking the streets after a hard day’s work, but this is something else.

My friend writes :

"I just came back and I still can’t grasp all that I’ve seen. The dynamics overwhelms all senses. At some point I stopped taking photos and just watched the foreign crowd with fascination. It seems surreal that this is in Israel".

Asians are becoming a part of Israeli reality and I honestly think that Israel isn’t prepared. Hearing a few lectures about the current conditions of Asian foreign workers in Israel, and having small chitchats with the ones willing to talk to me,  I am naturally concerned. I think I would want to head over there as well and talk to them, help them feel more at home here - if that’s even possible. I can’t explain why, I feel like I owe it to them and myself.

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(Rights to the photographs belong to Yael Elad and were published with permission. If you’re interested in the photos, please contact me and I’ll forward you)