Process
To do this, I cataloged the few albums they brought from their homes in Beijing and Inner Mongolia by scanning and organizing photos by date. I spent time with each of my parents to learn about the context surrounding the pictured individuals, time, and place. Through this simple exercise, I learned strange and fascinating things about their marriage, and how difficult it was to acclimate to each new city they moved to—essentially painting a picture of their acclimation to America.
Inspiration and design
For the book design and poster, I drew inspiration from the bold colors and intricate overlays of traditional Chinese paper decorations. I wanted these to contrast with the simple, open layout designs within the book to elevate the photos and content. The text is written in both English and simplified Mandarin Chinese as an allusion to the cultural ‘inbetween-ness’ experienced by all immigrant families.
