Photo Series: Culture

Culture can be defined as an identity group's shared practices, traditions, behaviors and norms. It encompasses all aspects of life, from food to language to dress. Upon taking time to reflect on my own culture as an Asian American, not fully Chinese yet not fully American either, I have realized that each person's relationship with their culture is a little bit different. Due to our different lifestyles and life experiences, we interpret our shared communal culture completely different from another person who may be of the same ethnic descent as us. 

 

That's why I decided to photograph myself in traditional Chinese 汉服 (hán-fu) but with my hair down, without the elaborate, flowery hairstyles of a traditional Chinese woman in the Han period. My life in America has given me the free spirit that I associate with letting my hair down and allowing it to freely rise and fall with the wind. Furthermore, I wanted to capture the architecture of an East-LA suburb (where I live), another part of my cultural identity to contrast with my Hanfu. 

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I hope that this series can help you to deeply consider and think about your own culture, and how you have adapted it into your own life.