My submission represents how as an Asian American it can sometimes be hard when you hear about all the Asian hate going around. This photo shows how even when the world seems dark, I know that there is always someone who will stand with me.
This submission is saying that you don’t have to be like everyone else, and you are not like everyone else. Every single person in the world is different. Why would you like to be like everyone else when you could be more than one.
As the shadows in the image show, on the outside we are all very similar, we all look like the same silhouettes with just simple differences. But sometimes it is important to look beyond what unites everyone and instead look at what sets us apart from the world. Whether it be culture, gender, sexuality, or something else entirely, there are ways we identify ourselves every day. And while these things might set us apart from everyone they also bring us closer to those who share the same identification factors, allowing us to build communities and families with those with who we can connect and relate to.
This shows more than one thing about myself.
For my entry, I wanted to show how online communities can support others when they don’t receive support from the people around them due to how they identify. The colorful hearts are coming from the phone to represent the support from online communities while everything else is colorless and dull to contrast the hearts and show that the character is feeling negative emotions. There’s so much negativity everywhere about other people identifying how they want and it could be from strangers online or family members. I see and hear so many negative comments about people in the LGBTQ community and it makes me upset because those people leaving the comments genuinely hate a group of people because they want to be themselves. Being in an online community where everyone is supportive definitely helps me when I lose hope.
Lots of things make up our identities, whether it’s our sexual orientation, gender expression, our ancestry, or if we choose to put a label to it at all. My entry is about sharing the things that we identify with through media, to show others that we are not one trait, and that we are all individuals who are more than one label. Through the height of the Stop Asian Hate movement, I noticed that there were more people who looked like me appearing on TV through either commercials or who made their presence more known on social media. This brought me to the revelation that representation does matter, that we are not this monolith that started the pandemic. We can show others that there is more to our character than just where we may have come from.
All in a Day’s Work is a piece dedicated to my identity. I’m a hard worker, working my hardest to realize my dreams and ambitions. Within the art piece is me, working at my desk in the future, stretching because I’m tired. I think it perfectly captures one of my defining qualities, my pure will to do whatever it takes to get to where I want to be. Even when I’m tired and I feel like the world is against me, I don’t stop working. I persevere, and I don’t stop until I’ve reached my goals. And so, All in a Day’s Work is a celebration piece that appreciates the things I’ve done for myself to be the person I am right now. It’s an everyday battle, and I will always win.
My art shows what inspires me or what I want to do.
It describes who I am, what I can do, and that I got a strong mindset.
I chose this illustration and poem because I believe it reflects my current life. I am serving time, and I am losing precious time with my family, friends and loved ones. I know I am a better person and when I get out I promise myself that I won’t waste anymore of my time. I also don’t want people to look at me like another criminal or problem. I want to be a force of positivity to all people around me.