ban do

My life consists of two different worlds that continually merge with each other integrating my identity as an American with my Vietnamese heritage. As a child of two Vietnamese refugees, I carry around a luggage of burden as a constant reminder to not let their sacrifices go to waste. I am constantly in a struggle trying to form an identity by piecing together concepts of nostalgia, memory, loss, and the immigrant experience.

I come from a lineage of admirable men and women who have implemented strong family values. This is particularly true for my grandparents, aunt, and mother who went into the unknown to seek out better opportunities for themselves and future generations. This series of prints and screen printed traditional Vietnamese dresses is an ode to my family and ancestors. By combining archival documents, photographs, and maps, I illustrate the transit of my family from Vietnam to America. This body of work is a homage to the ones who had nothing and suffered during a period of French colonization and the Vietnam War, fearing whether or not it was better to die, being under control of foreign occupiers or your own people. Even in the present, our family values still hold up no matter how drastically different the times are.