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When I was 10 years old, I recall going through a photo album that my mom and dad kept in their attic. As I was rummaging through the album, there was one particular photo that caught my eye. It was an image of my dad in his 30’s in a refugee camp in Galang, Indonesia. In this photo, he stood with crossed arms, in front of paintings that he had created. Growing up, I have never seen my dad paint. I would see him sketch occasionally, but most of my memories were of him with mom, working seven days a week. This photo made me realize that my parents went beyond their usual roles as Mom and Dad. There was so much that I didn’t know, and so much that I want to know. It was that photo that inspired me to start the The Stories We Carry project.
During the process of collecting family photos , I wondered how there must be other individuals with similar narratives to mine. The similarities could be deeply rooted in their lineage, their transition to a new country, or a struggle that they had or have experienced. The concept of people holding photos or memorabilia in their hands manifests as a literal interpretation of “the stories we carry”. Hands are fascinating to me, stemming from my parents working in the manicure business. They work with their hands all day, forging mostly anonymous connections, to beautify the hands of others. When I look at my parents’ hands, I can see their history told through the contours and divots of their palms. Because of this, I hope to share other people’s stories through this medium.
My creative partner, Andy Nguyen, and I hope this project focus is to highlight the experiences of second generation immigrants, third generation immigrants, and beyond. It is about acknowledging the roots of our ancestors and our parents planted and finding spaces to let our own stories “branch” and take shape. As this project continues to grow, my hope is that people from different backgrounds will see it and recognize that there are many things that thread us all together as human beings.
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Vĩ Sơn Trinh is a Vietnamese-American visual storyteller. Born in a refugee camp in Galang, Indonesia, and currently based in the Bay Area, California, Vĩ Sơn explores personal narratives of fellow refugee and immigrant community members. Vĩ Sơn is currently working on two projects, “Stories We Carry” a photo installation that empowers individuals from immigrant and refugee experiences, and “Silk Rise” a photo series that explores the intersectionality of Vietnamese tradition and contemporary through ao dai. He has photographed for publications and organizations such as Banana Magazine, SF Chronicle, Hyphen Magazine, Asian American Donor Program, and VSCO
While not out in the field capturing stories, he currently works as a registered nurse in Northern California.