Caroline Wang, 16
Taiwanese-American
California
This is a mixed media piece made with an oil pastel background and pencil drawn cutouts. The brick wall represents the language barrier between me and my parents/grandparents. I wanted to show my fear and sadness of not being able to thoroughly communicate with my family. One of the biggest difficulties I have as a second generation Taiwanese American is the frustrating language barrier. I wanted to show this side of living between two cultures since language is one of the most important factors in connecting with people. It has always been hard for me to communicate with my grandparents without it being awkward or uncomfortable. I feel like I still don’t know anything about them and we don’t have as close of a relationship as I want. Although I can understand Mandarin and I speak it occasionally, it’s not enough to truly understand. My piece signifies my frustration of the thick language barrier that has been holding me back as well as my relationships with family members.