As home and family are deeply rooted in the traditional Chinese culture, I want to tell the special stories of those who live far away from home and are experiencing different cultures. My book, Home, portrays a collective idea of home in Chinese culture by gathering personal home objects of Chinese international students as well as featuring interviews with individuals on their memories of their past home, experiences of their current home, and expectations for their future home. The book is not only a place for nostalgia and sentimental memories or a poetic way to express “home,” but is also a reflection of a group of special identities who live and experience a different culture than the one they grew up in. The book captures their current state—a frozen momenf of time—of a conflicting stage of their life where they are in between growing up and being a child at home. By condensing these stories into an artifact, it will become an object that I will forever treasure.
Where is your home and what is considered home to you? By reflecting on the environment we live in, we can better understand ourselves and our surroundings.