Keep Saray Home

Far from Mexico and the southern border, in the outskirts of Boston, Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees are facing their own battle against family separation. ICE is detaining community members on a scale not seen before, targeting individuals with decades-old criminal convictions. Despite having already served their jail time and repaying their debt to society; despite having been brought to the US as children following the devastation of their home countries; despite having reformed their lives and raising American-born families of their own; they now face an uphill battle to keep their families intact.

“Keep Saray Home” is the story of three families in the midst of this battle. Saray, a middle-aged father and his sons’ football coach, receives a final notice to report to ICE in two weeks for detention and deportation. He tries to maintain hope and exude strength as his wife and children unravel with despair. Hoa, a reserved but thoughtful middle-aged mother, frets about the potential for her husband to be deported. Though at first she is afraid to open up about her family’s predicament, she finds strength connecting with community members who share her struggle. And lastly, Victoria scrapes by as a newly single parent of two toddlers after her husband was deported to Cambodia. After losing her job and home, she must work hard to care for her children who feel the absence of their father. Despite the struggles they face, these three families, fueled by their immense love for each other, come together with their community to fight this existential threat. They realize that together they can make their stories heard and challenge a system that has treated them unjustly.

Plays in