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Courtesy of the artist.
In 1975, my family, alongside countless others, fled a war-torn South Việt Nam because they believed that the freedom for their future generations was worth risking death. They arrived in America, flourished in this freedom, and since then, have lived with purpose in the pursuit of life and liberty.
The current refugee crisis has caused widespread panic within the People as inhumane immigration policies have also affected the Vietnamese American community. We have been caught in the crosshairs, fighting to free ourselves from the scope of the powers who, through systematic oppression and injustice, have demonstrated their apathy for the sanctity of Life.
Vietnamese greenfinches and American goldfinches appear and dissolve into the quiet, taking flight from the crosshairs that have befallen them as they are being hunted. And still, they will continue to fight for freedom like their ancestors did. Those who were once invisible—our farmers, our laborers, our migrant workers, our neighbors who live in the margins—are now targeted.
The crosshairs, where two equal lines intersect, reference the point at which we can meet to discuss the changes that serve the betterment of humanity. The crosses are placed upon each bird’s heart as a stamp of courage. The word courage, deriving from the Greek word cour, or heart, defines courage as, essentially, what we are with our whole heart. In hope and in confidence, we stand fast."
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Trinh Mai is a California-based, second-generation Vietnamese American visual artist who examines the refugee and immigrant experience, then and now. Through a vast breath of media, she helps tell the stories of Us--the enduring People, the living history. Her work focuses on our witnessing of war, the wounds we’ve survived, our collective need to heal, and the custodial responsibility to which we are heirs. Seeking hope within humanity’s incessant struggle in war and hardship, Mai has partnered with numerous arts and academic institutions to engage survivors of war and our refugee youth, also continuing to develop creative storytelling workshops that seek to foster healing.