This is a story about those who ran, not to a destination, but away from a past. Caught between identities, they now live—somewhere else.
“First time to America. I watched this city in Hollywood films. Now I’m landing. I don’t know what comes next.”
“Statue of LIBERTY!!!”
City skyline with tall buildings, including the One World Trade Center partially covered in clouds with sunlight shining through, and a bird flying in the sky.
“They told him America was built on freedom. He believes it. Even when it’s just paint on bricks. So he takes a photo—just in case.”
Downtown cityscape with skyscrapers, a statue, and holiday decorations hanging across the street on a clear day.
“He casts a line into the water, but it’s not the fish he's after. It’s the silence.”
Side-by-side comparison of two views of a waterfront walkway in New York City near the Brooklyn Bridge with the Statue of Liberty visible in the distance, featuring people sitting and walking along the promenade.
"She's knitting a sweater, though the details remain unseen."
“In a land far from the one he dreamed of, Sun Yat-sen still watches over his people. And in his shadow, they find a quiet kind of home.” ————————————Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) Sun Yat-sen was a great national hero, a great patriot, and a great forerunner of China’s democratic revolution. He led the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and the founding of the Republic of China, marking the end of over two thousand years of feudal monarchy. Sun devoted his life to the cause of national independence, social progress, and the unity of the Chinese people. His ideas and spirit continue to be respected and remembered by Chinese people at home and abroad.
A busy urban street scene with tall buildings, signs with Chinese characters, cars parked on the side, and pedestrians crossing the street in late afternoon or early evening.
“They say it’s a museum to honor Chinese Americans. Outside, the community it claims to represent is shouting to be heard.”
A torn and crumpled flyer protesting against the displacement of Chinatown residents, highlighting allegations against Jonathan Chu involving financial and political misconduct, calling for action to demand restitution and re-opening of Chinatown businesses.
"On a quiet afternoon in Chinatown, the park fills with familiar sounds—laughter, cards being shuffled, the soft hum of a song. These elders gather as if back home, recreating a world they once knew, piece by piece."
Group of people playing chess on a park bench surrounded by onlookers, with trees and park benches in the background.
Storefront with red door, window display of clothing and boxes, yellow awning with blue and red text, and miscellaneous items outside.
"The sign says ‘Joy and Care.’ But nothing about this moment feels joyful. Only the cold, the silence, and the long shadow of growing old in a foreign land."
A street market stall with various Asian souvenirs and decorations, including hanging pottery, small figurines, and traditional ornaments, with two people browsing and a vendor behind the counter.
A bowl of noodle soup and a half-eaten dish on a table with teapots and cups, viewed through a glass window of a chef preparing food in the kitchen.
A person standing outside a Chinese restaurant at night, looking at the windows displaying roasted chicken and Vietnamese menu signs illuminated in warm light.
BALANCE
BALANCE
"Straddling two worlds on a self-made tightrope, their struggle to balance old rhythms with new realities only deepens the divide. Every wobble echoes the quiet truth: some distances can't be measured until you choose to cross them."
Black-and-white photo of a city street with a McDonald's restaurant, vehicles parked along the curb, and several pedestrians walking. A large sign displays the McDonald's logo and indicates 24-hour service, with neighboring buildings including an empty space for rent and a tattoo shop.
Black and white photo of an old brick building with fire escape, several signs including phrases like space for lease, restaurant for lease or sale, and Chinese characters, adjacent to a modern building.
Street scene in an urban area during sunset, with buildings, cars, pedestrians, and graffiti on a pole, with wet pavement and a person in a wheelchair being pushed by another person.
A cityscape featuring tall skyscrapers partially obscured by fog or smog, with older brick and concrete buildings on the street level, parked cars, and signs in a dense urban neighborhood.
View of a city street through a chain-link fence, with older buildings on either side and modern skyscrapers in the background under a hazy sky.
A city street at dusk with parked and moving cars, pedestrians, and decorative street lights.
Old urban building with fire escapes, graffiti, parked cars, a small garage, and a person walking on the street.
People walking under an overpass next to a sidewalk with trash and debris, with graffiti on the wall and street signs indicating no standing or parking.
A city street scene showing a group of people, some wearing masks, standing under a bridge with graffiti on the walls. A person in the foreground with a backpack and hoodie is walking near scattered trash. There are parked vehicles and a street sign indicating no standing at certain hours and no parking anytime.
A chain-link fence with a padlock and various stickers, overlooking a city skyline with tall buildings in the background.
View of city street through a fence, showing cars and pedestrians, with a street sign pointing to Manhattan Bridge.
City alleyway with string lights and paper lanterns hanging above, against brick apartment buildings and fire escape stairs.
