Mahal Kita, Mi Amor

Abstract

I make monotypes that depict traditional family settings using the nuances of cultural identifiers through food to describe a modern Filipino-American childhood. Feeling otherness because of my mixed identity - not feeling Filipino "enough". I use this imagery to comment on parallels in the traditional American archetype and an atypical multicultural background. Many ideas of the traditional American family come from the 1950s idea of a white family with two kids, a pet, and a house. "The American Dream" is a heavily discussed subject within the United States, it is seen as an end goal for those who move or live there to start a family. Although chasing the American Dream is something that even my parents did, my upbringing was not traditional; neither did it take away from my experience as both a maternal first and paternal second generation American. My culturally diverse background has given me an understanding of the different peoples I come from, and how common it is to be of mixed race and of immigrant parents in America today. Using recipes to create portraits of each family member, I share those experiences in recognizable food products to bring an understanding to each viewer.