Duality of a Mixed Race Child: Emotive Project

As someone who is mixed race, this piece speaks to the tension that I have experienced within such an identity. I often code-switch between my two racial identities: my Asian and white side. When I was surrounded by a community mostly composed of Caucasian people (especially when I was younger), I felt the need to suppress my Asian side, such as the time when I did not question people who just assumed by my last name that I am completely white. On the other hand, when I am in a community if predominantly Asian, I tend to highlight my Asian culture whether that be attempting to speak in my native tongue or getting boba. To many mixed-race people, this is a common experience to code-switch, and hence I wanted to replicate this in my art.

When the audience comes close, the person switches from being white to Asian, and when the audience is far away, the person defaults to being white. However, if the audience observes and pays attention long enough, the person begins to switch back and forth continuously. This symbolism is further supported by the yellow LED on the board that turns on every time the person is displayed as Asian.

I hand-drew the pictures of the two similar but different people, hoping to resemble the complexity of the tension between my dual identity. By covering my face with my hands, I hope to represent the uncertainty of where I stand in this world: a world where oftentimes I got to embrace my Caucasian side or Asian side but never both. I also use color to further represent this divide, further added on by the yellow LED.

One rose is how the interaction between the audience and the piece came out. I love how the audience can interact either a short or a long time with the art, and come out with a different experience. One thorn is that I shorted the circuit, but I overcame that challenge. If I had more time, I would love to scale the piece outside the use of cardboard and paper. Perhaps, integrating the LEDs into the art piece is one way to do so.

Ultimately, this project allows me to reflect and represent my identity - something art has the power to do.