Asian photographers share the stories behind their names
It started with a conversation. It felt good to be in the company of other Asian photographers after two years of interacting with this community through screens. We drifted onto the topic of our names — not only their meanings and origins but also how our identities are often shaped by our cultural and familial traditions.
In the journey to feel at home in our Asian American or Pacific Islander identities, we may encounter different versions of ourselves. We asked AAPI photographers, "What is the story of your name? What does it mean to you?" In considering photographers for this project, we did not factor in who has American citizenship or permanent residency status, but rather who calls the U.S. home at this moment.
My name was found in a forest in a dream. Shuran Huang's name was chosen by her mother in an act of agency in the shadow of her family's disappointment that she had not given birth to a boy during China's one-child policy initiative. Ian Morton discovered his Korean name, Lim Hae-dong, on a manila folder that contained his adoption files. To Amir Hamja, "This name bears everything I create and it carries the weight of all my existence."
- Arin Yoon
Neeta Satam
I am a woman of color with a non-American accent. When I meet people and introduce myself, I often sense some are wondering where I'm from, and others are trying to catch my name. Over the years, I
