In Passing

Change is a constant uncertainty in all stages of life. The transition into new cultural expectations often meant preserving a sense of self against a heightened awareness of the outside perceptions of who we are. This experience is even more complicated for refugees displaced by conflict. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the aftershock of the Vietnam War pushed thousands to flee their homeland seeking asylum in unknown places. Many people arrived in the United States only to face more challenges after their escape.

For numerous Vietnamese refugees, family ties and history suddenly disappeared in the upheaval. Forced migration has a profound effect that ripples through generations. Elders had little means to heal their loss and children inherited these unspoken struggles which caused them to view themselves in the world through a distorted lens. Those who grew up in immigrant families often desire to take hold of their heritage.

Ann Le and Trinh Mai are two Vietnamese American artists who use alternative storytelling to counter the written past. They employ experimental art practices to bridge the gaps across public identity, family history, and personal narrative. These artists use fragmented recollections to visualize old anxieties and process their enduring importance in the present. A vicarious past is constructed from private archives of photo albums, letters, and mementos. The journey of loved ones is honored through craft, portraiture, symbolic objects, rituals, and language.

The artists examine identity as an exchange between individual experiences and broader sociopolitical influences. Here, history is not a straightforward path. It is a breathing web that evolves as missing context is found and recovered. Their stories unfold in layers across digital and natural realms. They weave a saga about resilience that mirrors lived realities to demonstrate that understanding heritage can move beyond autobiography into a universal dialogue.