An American Vocabulary: Words to Action is a collaborative project by visual artist Audrey Chan and rapper jason chu. This set of flash cards portrays figures, events, and practices rooted in community, care, and action. Through these words and images, the artists invite you to participate in a shared vocabulary of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) agency and unity in the fight for justice, healing, and understanding.
AANHPI communities often have a complex relationship with language, both English and heritage tongues. These cards symbolize the ways AANHPI communities have had to translate their inimitably American histories across linguistic, cultural, and imaginative gaps.
They raise questions about American identity: Must one discard the language of previous generations to be perceived as “fully American”? What is lost—or gained—in translation? What words will we use to tell our stories?
Each deck contains 20-4"x 6" cards, divided into four categories: Ancestor, Voice, Persistence, and Care. There is a QR code that will take you to a site that shares more details about this collaboration.
Also available:
Rise--A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now
