Left: American Fish head Right: Peanuts Coming to America
Material Tapestry quilts with beads and textile appliqué
Dimensions 45x60 inch EACH
Artist Statement
Fish head and peanut are two iconic fixtures in Asian cuisine; respectively, they are also ethnic slurs for an Asian and Vietnamese person. Reimagined here as icons with patterns reminiscent of those of the American flag, these works reiterate Asian and Vietnamese Americans into the very fabric of the multi-dimensional, multi-color tapestry that is America.
Despite being an economic alternative to other fish parts while providing the same rich nutrients, fish heads are often discarded or missing from “American” menus. Peanuts, while widely used in commercial food production in America, are undervalued as a common and cheap source of protein, and in a cultural context: as a slight and derogatory term against Vietnamese people. Using these food items as metaphors to Asian Americans, and thus also reclaiming the terms from being used as ethnic slurs, this work is a statement on how members of the AAPI community deserve to not only be at the table, but to be highlighted and appreciated for their contributions and values to American society as well as American cuisines.