Over150yearsago,afewofmyancestorsarrivedinAmerica.Theyhadjourneyedfromtoday’sTaishanCity,GuangdongProvinceinSouthernChina,towhattheyoncecalled,theGoldMountain.DuringthelastyearsofthefailingQingDynasty(1644-1911),myancestorsleftalltheyknewinordertofindawaytoprovidefortheirfamilies,andthebestwaytosurvivewastoleaveChinaforaforeignlandwheretheydidn’tspeakthelanguageandwouldbefacedwithprejudiceandmanyunforeseenunknowns.
Flashforwardtocurrentday,myextendedfamilyhasbeeninAmericaforoverfourgenerations,andmyimmediatefamily,justtwo.BeingthechildofimmigrantsIgrewupexperiencingonecultureathomewhilehavingtoliveanotherculturewhenoutwithfriendsandatschool.Thisleadstoanunderstandingofmyselfasabiculturalindividual.Athome,IwastheChineseson,havingtheresponsibilityofreadingalltheEnglishmailsformyparents,fillingoutgovernmentforms,andlearningthatmyexistenceisanextensionofmypastandwhatIdowithmylifeisareflectiononallthosethatcamebeforeme.Atschool,IwastheChinesekidwhowasbulliedbythewhitestudents,becauseIatenoodles,haddifferentshapedeyes,andcouldspeakChinese.Today,IhavelearnedtoacceptwhoIam,acceptmyface,andrealizewhatmyplaceisinthisChineseAmericanstory.Brooklyn,NewYork:InAmerica,oftentheChinesecultureandtheAmericancultureblendtogether.HerewehavetraditionalChineseNewYeardecorationswithaportraitofayoungPresidentBarackObama.
Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania:Anewborngirlisheldbyherrelatives.WitheachgenerationborninAmerica,ChineseAmericansseenewhopeinabetterfuture,abetterlife,andfamilialhappiness.Brooklyn,NewYork:AmemberfromtheChineseFreemasons,thelocalChinatownliondancegroup.TheyweregoingtovariousChinatownsdancingtolocalbusinesses.AbigpartoftheAmericandreamistheabilitytoownland.OwninglandisasymbolofstatusformanyChineseAmericans,andasignthattheyhavesettledontheirrootsandwanttobuildfurtherinAmerica.OftenalotofChineseAmericansormorerecentimmigrantstendtohavegardensgrowingvegetablesfrombokchoyandcabbagetowintermelons.
ThesephotographsIcreatearethestoriesIshareofmyexperiencelookingforwhatitmeanstobeAmericanandChinesesimultaneously.IbegantravelingtodifferentstateswithinAmericaattheageof19,inpursuitoffindingmyself,hopingthatbymeetingotherChineseAmericansIcouldfindsolidarityinasharedexperiencegrowingupinU.S.thatwecallhome.WhatIendedupfindingwasadiverseandconfusingsociallandscapeofindividualsandplacesthatwereunsureoftheiridenti-ties,lostinthecomplexitiesofAmericanlife,whilealsofindingthrivingandlivelycommunitiesthathavefoundtheirpartoftheGoldMountain.Throughthesephotographs,Iexploretheideasoffamily,relationships,socialconstructs,andideaoffindinghome.EachphotographisanexperienceofaplaceIhavebeenandisarepresentationoftheAmericathatweoverseasChinesehavebuiltforourselves.
AnRongXu,authorofthisarticle,isaphotographeranddirectorfromNewYorkCity’sChinatown.CourtesyofTencent’sColumn“ToLive”