Now See me
2015-ongoing
When people think of minorities who don’t have a voice, they often overlook Asian Americans. This underrepresented group is typically typecast as “model Americans,” vixens or villains onscreen or online. Being an Asian American woman, I was frustrated by this and set out to collaborate with a subset of this population, Asian American female teenagers, to help them determine how they want to be represented in front of the camera.
For the photos, the girls selected their own clothing, accessories, hairstyle and makeup. Other than asking them not to smile, I did not pose or direct them. They decided what to do with their bodies and facial expressions. And I often chose locations with them that represented something personal: their schools, local parks or libraries.
I am especially interested in this group because teenagers are just beginning to define themselves and with whom they choose to identify. There is a lot of pressure to belong to the majority culture, over which Asian Americans have very little influence. And, being teenage girls, they are keenly aware of their appearance in front of the camera, as evidenced by the plethora of selfies on social media that are highly self-curated for their peers. So it was fascinating to see how they chose to represent themselves to me, someone outside of their social milieu.
During the photo sessions, I noticed a pattern where the girls would at first be very uncomfortable and self-conscious. The way they held their arms or stood, they seemed vulnerable, especially the ones who tried to look tough and impenetrable. But over time, they became more accustomed to posing for someone behind the lens. They started to exhibit a presence and made more eye contact. That was when I realized that when given the chance to control how they want to be seen, these Asian American teenage girls chose strength, which is not how they are usually viewed.