Our Voices Count

As a refugee who was not born in the United States, I have always had a complex relationship with government documents. I struggled with trusting a government that has had a long history of discrimination, racism, and anti-immigrant policies. I also realize that I was granted asylum and a permanent place of residence in Los Angeles where I can safely reconstruct a life that is more than just survival. Through a vibrant network of family, friends, social justice as well as arts and culture communities, I have found a place where I belong and where I can call home. I am an artist, mother, and educator, and I feel that it is important for me to advocate for the census, especially in contributing to the efforts to make sure that the most vulnerable and underrepresented sectors of our city are counted. The people I have chosen to include in my print form a collaborative portrait of family, friends, colleagues, and those who stand in solidarity for equity and inclusion. The faces are half-toned, blue impressions on a bright orange gradation. They are the faces of Sidney Weiner, my oldest son who is mixed race (an identity that still has no appropriate box to check). Rick Noguchi is my partner who is committed to the mission of the Japanese American National Museum which preserves the history of Japanese American concentration camps as a conduit to speak out for social injustices. Dr. Sherri Rodriguez is a vice president, and Dr. Llanet Martin is a dean at Los Angeles Valley College, a community college in Los Angeles County where I teach in the Art Department. They both are incredible women of color in leadership who serve disproportionately impacted students, which include Black scholars, veterans, foster youth, and Dreamers. Finally, Sergio Teran is my chosen brother, a brilliant Latinx artist and art professor who continues to inspire and innovate with his life's work. The words on the print are simple and underscore the tone of the message in that every person counts, our voices count, and what we say matters. Representation matters and inclusive representation matters more.