Chinese American art and culture are vibrant bridges between past and present. Through painting, literature, film, calligraphy, music, and performance, generations of Chinese Americans have explored how their heritage and journey coexist to shape their unique identities. This section invites you into the creative currents of this community: works created by high school students that celebrate, critique, preserve, and reimagine.
The essay explores how superstition and the concept of yùnqì (fortune) shape Chinese culture. Fortune is seen as cycling between good (hǎoyùn) and bad (bù zǒuyùn), encouraging people to work hard during good times and persevere through hardships. Customs influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—such as filial piety and kindness—are believed to attract good fortune, while everyday symbols like red or jade carry protective and lucky meanings. Jewelry plays a central role, evolving across dynasties from jade talismans for elites to charms for longevity, prosperity, and protection that became widespread. In modern times, fortune-related jewelry such as red thread bracelets and jade still holds strong cultural value while blending with global fashion. The author concludes with a personal reflection on making beaded bracelets, highlighting jewelry as both art and a continuation of Chinese tradition.
The essay argues that English, rooted in colonization and white supremacy, forces minorities to conform by speaking “perfect English,” erasing parts of their identity. Mimicry—whether in speech, culture, or behavior—offers temporary safety, as shown in works by Cathy Park Hong, Franny Choi, and Ken Liu, but it ultimately leads to self-loss and alienation. True assimilation remains impossible, illustrated by The Great Gatsby and Choi’s mother, because society’s prejudice creates boundaries that cannot be crossed. Forced imitation also dehumanizes, stripping individuals of authenticity and reducing them to stereotypes, as seen in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. The essay concludes that resistance must come through play—a creative act that reclaims language and identity, turning shame into pride. Only by embracing difference rather than erasing it can society allow marginalized voices to exist fully and authentically.