Original artwork description:

In this painting I wanted to express the challenges that immigrant youth often face in their search of identity. As a 1.5 American immigrant myself, I happened to meet a lot of friends who went through the similar challenges I had. The environmental situation they are placed in just because there are the children of immigrant families can also add to the challenges. In this painting the subjects are placed in a working environment as they are supposed to be helping their parents who are running a food cart business. They have no other choice but to always help their parents whenever needed. They might want to be outside hanging out with their American friends, or doing other things that you may imagine, what other normal teenagers like to do. But in reality, they are being trapped in a food cart, where they have to be responsible for a lot of things for their family. The girl in the painting is in charge of the food cart, while waiting for her mom to maybe come back from grocery shopping. She is like a mom to her little brother, who is pushed into the corner behind her shadow. The toys represent their daydreams and their extended identity.
The Asian toys symbolize the longing for their lost childhood as an immigrant. Also, they represent the Asian culture, which is their connection to their parents’ cultural identity.

Materials used:

Oil on Canvas

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