Cutout images of my family in Vietnam are collaged onto color darkroom photo paper made from my father’s 35mm negatives, from my upbringing in San Diego. By pairing images from two places and different periods of my family’s history, the work reflects on my Vietnamese American experience and the intersections of memory, migration, and belonging. The collages imagine a shared family vacation across borders, connecting my life in the United States with the lives of my relatives in Vietnam. Through this playful yet personal reconstruction, I explore how family photographs bridge geographic distances and create new possibilities for connection between generations and cultures.

Home on Euclid, 1986 San Diego, CA/Can Tho, Vietnam, 1960s; Photomontage, Darkroom C-Print, 16”x20”

Vegas, 1987 / Can Tho, Vietnam, 1990s; Photomontage, Darkroom C-Print, 16”x20”

Disneyland, 1988 Anaheim / Can Tho, Vietnam, 1970s; Photomontage, Darkroom C-Print, 16”x20”