Medium: thrown and altered porcelain, painted and carved in underglaze with crocheted copper wire

This piece is a representation of my American experience as a multiracial 3.5 generation Asian American. Growing up with such a mixed heritage with having strong roots in America, life was confusing when people placed their assumptions on me based on my physical appearance and seeing my last name. I felt that neither my physical appearance nor my last name was a big enough representation of who I am. My last name is only 1/4th a representation of a heritage that I have little connection to. I did not learn Tagalog, Cebuano, or Chinese. It wasn’t until my early 20s did I start feeling comfortable with all the facets of myself. As a kid, it was easy to just neglect all parts of my heritage and push forward with one to make conversations easier. Now, I want to represent all parts of my known heritage through the stories of my grandparents and now a new culture to embrace with my husband into our new family.