Dreaming of America
Jenny Zhou
Dreaming of America is an experiential project exploring the American Dream, critically investigating contemporary media consumption and how idealistic portrayals of modern-day America influence younger generations.
Through interviews collected with individuals sharing their experiences of moving to the United States, a passport-style publication was created to showcase these stories and serve as a commentary on the romanticization of the American Dream. A companion publication, made in the style of a MacBook, portrays online perceptions of the United States before featuring more realistic windows that contrast original perceptions. The physical manifestation of this exploration becomes the carrier of stories—a backpack, intended to be a literal and metaphorical container of American Dreams, encompasses these publications together to narrate the shared experiences of leaving home and moving here.