Neon, Wood, Acrylic Paint

Made in New Jersey is a neon sign and photo series inspired by an interaction I had with a retired faculty member who pointed at me and asked “Where did she come from?”. In this moment I had felt so belittled and reduced to needing some kind of geographical tie to prove myself as worthy of being talked to instead of talked at. The Made In China sticker to me has always felt like a dirty little secret. The sticker is always small and located in discreet spots on products because the idea of Chinese-made things is seen as “less than” in America. Just as in my interaction with the faculty, respect is not warranted if the origin is China. I wanted my sign to be large to represent the burden of reminding people that I am American but also to show that I am not ashamed of my identity.