What Makes an American

My grandmother lives in the liminal space between Chinese history and American lifestyle. This collection began as a celebration of her quirks, minute-made rice, green jello, and trips to Chinatown. It now challenges notions of what makes an “authentic” race, culture, and nationality, if only as a state of mind. Faded 70’s family photos of a new life in the United States, of thrift store clothing and red, white, and blue, peak at this illusive state of in-between. These garments are handmade histories that cherish the idiosyncrasies that make modern American cultural and racial identities unique.