Throughout my college career, I did not have the opportunity to work on a project that thoroughly explored my identity. When I did have a chance, the focus would either be all facets of my American identity, or on all facets of my Chinese identity. For my senior thesis, I wanted to use this opportunity to explore a design project that reflects who I am. Unboxing Persona focuses on the questions, “Am I too American to fit into Asian society?” and “Am I too Asian to be American?” This project aims to examine how Chinese/Taiwanese immigrant families incorporate both American and Chinese cultures into their lives, which would also further my understanding of how to utilize my bicultural skills in my daily life.

In this project, there are three different components. The centerpiece of my project is a large Chinese-American-style takeout box, a symbol that is uniquely reflective of the cultural fusion within the United States. This iconic representation not only showcases the blend of Chinese and American influence but also highlights our creative capability to create a distinct identity that merges the two cultures.

The second component is my personalized mahjong game. Mahjong, which is well known for creating social bonds among family members and friends, demonstrates Chinese culture’s emphasis on unity and harmony within our community.  Traditionally, the tile designs reflect Chinese philosophy, history, and values. However, my custom set uniquely expresses my Chinese American identity by incorporating symbols from both American and Chinese cultures. The third component is a zine that goes in-depth about the meaning behind each asset and my relationship with these objects. Formatting the zine to incorporate both American and Chinese style reading directions, with personal statements seamlessly merging these two aspects.

Ultimately I want my audience to learn more about what it is like to be raised in an immigrant family, specifically as a Chinese American,and some of the related history of this identity. The project is informed by research interviews that I completed with people with similar backgrounds to mine, specifically people from first and second generations. In the end I hope to help my community learn more about how we can use our bicultural skills in our daily lives.