Editorial illustration for Refinery29 article on Redefining the American Dream as part of Not Your Token Asian series for AAPI month. I was one of four artists that was asked to respond visually to the question “What does the Asian Pacific American Dream mean to you?” ✨ Below is my written response to accompany my piece.
My illustration represents the “The American Dream” as a fusion of both my parent’s vision and my own intertwined. My parents immigrated from the Philippines to Australia in the 90s before my sister and I were born. From the outside looking in, I imagined the ideal behind their immigration to be a beautiful, blooming, and clearly defined vision that would bring stability and opportunities for our family. The glass is transparent at the root of this blossoming dream, the fruits of their labor, sacrifice, and migration clear to see. When I moved from Australia to the United States in my 20s, I didn’t know the shape of my dream, or what I was pursuing. Open to whatever would come my way, I was seeking new scenery and experiences with the safety of knowing I could always return home. I feel like the Asian Pacific American Dream for me is an abstract concept, rich with nuances and shifting distortion I cannot clearly articulate. As the plant blooms, the glass becomes blurry and fogged; the leaves take on a more undefined and vivid form. I hope for people to view this piece and understand that the “American Dream” for me is a continuation of my parents' one; I could not convey my answer without including theirs.
Creative Direction, Art and Animation
Creative Direction, Art and Animation
