Advisor(s)
Dr. REBECCA FORGASH
Prof. KELLY MONICO
PAUL KWONG
April 28, 2023
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE
MSU DENVER
PHOEBE NGUYEN Author Prof. SHAWN MEEK Mentorhòa (verb)
• To mix, to mingle, to dissolve
• Depending on the word it is paired with, “hòa” an become “acculturation” (“hòa nhập”) or “assimilation” (“hòa tan”)
CAPTURING THE IN-BETWEEN SPACE OF CULTURES, WHERE THE IDENTITY OF IMMIGRANTS IS CHALLENGED BY THE INFLUENCE OF THE AGLOBALIZATI AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIASCAPES.
Question
How have globalization and the contemporary mediascapes challenged the cultural identity of immigrants in the United States for generations?
Theoretical Framework
Homi K. Bhabha
Theory on the “in-between” space of culture and Hybridity
Arjun Appadurai
Theory of social disjunctures and the five “scapes” of globalization
Why “duality”?
• Capture the two spectrum of experiences between Vietnamese and American cultures.
• The generational gap is also an important factor in contributing to the duality of experiences.
Influences
4 key areas of cultural identity formation:
• IDEOLOGY (cultural patterns and beliefs)
• LOVE (personal relationships)
• WORK (gratification & stability)
• Embracing the space “in-between” in Bhabha’s theory.
• A comfortable space in the immigrants’ households, where the significance of acculturation and preserving heritage are discussed.
• Visualize how modern media and technology can transform the audience’s perception on cultures.
• Improve audience interaction with the work.
• A learning opportunity
Default Panels
AR Panels
Body of work
FOUR ILLUSTRATIVE PANELS & A DINING TABLE
Panel topics
IDEOLOGY (cultural patterns—Collectivism vs. Individualism)
LOVE (relationships & languages)
WORK (delayed vs. instant gratification)
The Dining Table features
VIETNAMESE vs. AMERICAN CUISINES
DINING HABITS
WORK (stability)
• Inspired by Đông Hồ woodcut paintings & the unique illustration style of artist Tạ Huy Long.
• Color theory
Neutral & earthly-oriented
• Storytelling elements
• Symbolic meaning of artifacts
• Combining my illustration style and the brushstroke technique from the traditional panels.
• Color theory
Bold, confident, energetic
• Composition
Chaotic and disorganized
• Symbolic meaning of artifacts
Translation of Symbolism
• Religious practices connect the yin and yang worlds, reflected the idea of a Collectivist culture.
• Embracing symbolism in art through the abstract meaning of the mirror, the reflection of self, and the vanity table to portray an Individualist culture.
Individualism
• Generation gap is revealed through gratification styles (delayed vs. instant).
• Modern technology provides immediate access to gratification.
• The contrast in symbolic meaning of artifacts (coin vs. credit card)
Translation of Symbolism gratification
Translation of Symbolism languages
• How languages define new approaches to relationships (handwritten letters vs. mobile devices)
• Code-switching influence emotional/psychological aspects.
• Modern technology open more opportunities for connections and help maintain long-distant relationships— creating differences in expressions and interpretation of love.
Translation of Symbolism
• How different cultures define stability for a woman.
• Immigrant experiences open more opportunities and possibilities for women.
Translation of Symbolism
• The dining table represents the mix of cultures, highlighted by different kinds of food.
• Symbolic meaning is also hidden in eating utensils on the table & the placements of food.
Ideation
SPACIAL THINKING—
TURNING AN IDEA INTO AN EXHIBITION
Process
INITIAL SKETCHES
SPACE RENDERING
ACQUIRING/ASSEMBLING MATERIALS
INSTALLING
Final look
PROJECT IN THE GALLERY SPACE
Location
Exhibition Dates
APRIL 7 - MAY 5
Theoretical Framework
Appadurai, Arjun. “Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy.” In Theory, Culture & Society 7, no. 2-3 (1990): 295-310.
Accessed April 19, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1177/026327690007002017
Bank, James A., ed. “Cultural Hybridity.” Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education 1, no.1 (2012): 523-524. Accessed April 18, 2023, https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452218533.n166
Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. London & New York: Routledge, 1994.
Nilan, Pam. “Hybridity.” Keywords in Youth Studies, edited by Nancy Lesko and Susan Talburt, 253-257. New York: Routledge, 2011.
Berry, J.W. “Globalisation and Acculturation.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations 32, no. 1 (2008): 328-336. Accessed April 18, 2023, doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2008.04.001
Historical Framework
Lieu, Nhi T. The American Dream in Vietnamese. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.
Kula, Stacy M., Vinh Q. Tran, Iraise E. Garcia, L. Erika Saito, and Susan J. Paik. “Vietnamese Americans: History, Education, and Societal Context.” Journal of Southeast Asian American Education & Advancement 16, no. 1 (2021): 1–25. Accessed April 18, 2023, https:// www.jstor.org/stable/48684461.
Maloof, Valerie Miller, Donald L. Rubin, and Ann Neville Miller. “Cultural Competence and Identity in Cross-cultural Adaptation: The Role of a Vietnamese Heritage Language School.” The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 9, no.2 (2006): 255-273. Accessed April 18, 2023, https://doi. org/10.1080/13670050608668644.
Jensen, Lene Arnett, Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen, and Jessica
McKenzie. “Globalization and Cultural Identity.” Handbook of Identity Theory and Research 1, no.1 (2011): 285-301. Accessed April 18, 2023, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-14419-7988-9_13
Advisor(s)
Dr. REBECCA FORGASH
Prof. KELLY MONICO
PAUL KWONG
April 28, 2023
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE
MSU DENVER
PHOEBE NGUYEN Author Prof. SHAWN MEEK Mentor