Indo-grate
Dirm Luawo
Growing up in an immigrant culture isn’t easy. Oftentimes, the home culture and the host culture conflict and creates an uneasy, unwelcoming community that can be a burden, especially to the children of immigrants. As a first-generation Indo-American, our experience growing up in America while being raised under our Indonesian parents creates a unique culture and experience in itself: we’re not entirely Indonesian nor American, and this creates a culture clash, an identity crisis. This dissonance was something I explored in this project, considering our experiences and documenting them to solidify our place in the world.
The passport form acts as a personal critique on oneself in a hands-on, printed approach. The pages of the passport plays on visual representations of both cultures while expanding on various themes of history. The function of the passport are supported with satirical stickers that mimic travel stamps, which are questions to be responded to into the book, as well as additional cues for participants to interact with this passport. Its small form allows it to act as a journal, documenting experiences while visually appearing like something familiar. In creating this project, I aim to gather the Indonesian diaspora into my project, collect experiences, and strengthen a healthy relationship with our community here in the States.