Gilded
Artwork by Clemence Wong

My artwork addresses the cyclical nature of anti-Asian xenophobia in California. The word "gilded" reflects a deceptive golden surface masking underlying rot---much like California’s "Gold Mountain" dream obscuring a history of systemic violence.

By layering the transcontinental railroad over skeletal remains, the piece illustrates how California's infrastructure was built on exploited Chinese labor, which was immediately met with the bureaucratic violence of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and Angel Island detentions. This is a fundamental civil rights issue as it exposes how systemic racism strips a community of its humanity and legal protections.

In 2026, this matters more than ever. The modern pandemic-era scapegoating embedded in the sky proves these prejudices never left. By illuminating these hidden foundations with symbolic sky lanterns, "Gilded" demands we confront our past to protect civil liberties today.

Wong Kim Ark & Birthright Citizenship Today
Video by Noah Chung

U.S. v Wong Kim Ark, a landmark case that happened over one hundred years ago, is a civil rights issue that still matters today. Wong Kim Ark was coming back from a trip to China like he had done previously. Even though Wong was born a U.S. citizen in San Francisco to immigrant parents, immigration officials stopped him [from] reentering on the basis that Chinese could not be citizens due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association helped bring Wong’s case to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled in favor of Wong Kim Ark, clarifying birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment for years to come. With Trump’s recent executive order that attempts to remove birthright citizenship and the 2026 Trump v Barbara case, Wong Kim Ark’s case still stands to be what we [define] how we interpret birthright citizenship under the 14th amendment.

I Inherited the Run
Poem by Jin Chung

My poem regards a personal family history, stretching back to 1913 in Hemet Valley, California. In 1913, eleven Korean farm laborers– being mistaken for Japanese– were met by a mob amid anti-Japanese hostility surrounding that year’s Alien Land Law. Through diplomatic efforts made by Washington, asserting that since Koreans were annexed by Japan in 1910, it implied that Koreans were subjects of Japan on paper, even those who were escaping their own oppression– my grandfather and the eleven laborers. The Hemet Valley incident utterly represents a civil rights issue as my grandfather’s identity depended on how he looked, rather than his humanity or name. In 2026, as “Where are you REALLy from?” still stands in for recognition, and Asians remain one “culture,” this history raises the questions of whose language we speak and what freedom it means to leave home.

Return Address
Artwork by Anabelle Co

I created Return Address to explore my experience of being American and the intergenerational emotional impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act as a daughter of a Taiwanese immigrant. More than a century after its passage in 1882, its legacy continues to shape perceptions of who can be considered "American". This portrait shows the girl being examined with a red light, as if interrogating her "American-ness" or "Chinese-ness". Yet, she embodies both the blue and red of the Taiwanese and American flags. Represented as a letter, her "return address" combines American stars and symbols of Taiwan, while her stamps feature Lady Liberty's torch and Taiwan's sun. These elements represent her belonging to both cultures and the reconciling two identities. Return Address illustrates how the 1882 notion that Chinese immigrants couldn't also be American continues to shape the American identities of many Chinese-American youth today.

Asian American Strength
Artwork by Nina Schweigkofler

Kimiko Takeuchi, a Japanese Woman, and Yook Jim Wong, a Chinese man- two people from different cultures created a life for my mother. Before their life together started, my grandpa was detained at Angel Island Immigration center in 1926, due to the Chinese Exclusion Act and detention of “alien enemies”. Although he was released within 11 days, he continued to face discrimination based on his race. Similarly, during World War 2, my grandmother and her family were imprisoned at the Topaz Japanese internment camp. Throughout both of their lives, they were treated ill due to their ethnicity and cultures. Yet, they created a home here in America for their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Their strength to persevere throughout their life struggles and still call America their home has given me the hope that one day, their fight and our future fights for equality will be worth their sacrifices.

The Murder of Vincent Chin
Poem by Mark Lin

On July 19, 1982, Vincent Chin was brutally attacked both verbally and physically by Ronald Ebens and Micheal Nitz out of racial malice. Just four days later, Vincent passed away from his fatal injuries. When the two criminals were tried for manslaughter, Judge Kaufman infamously let them go without serving any time behind bars (National Park Service). The Fourteenth Amendment states that no state shall deny any person equal protection of the laws. This is one of the cornerstones of civil rights, yet it was violated by a corrupt judge and jury who denied equal protection to Vincent by not convicting the criminals for clearly committing murder simply because of Vincent’s race and discrimination. This blatant injustice was a major catalyst for the formation of the American Citizens of Justice (ACJ), which demands federal intervention to protect civil rights for all even in 2026 (American Citizens for Justice).

The Country Keeps Changing the Question
Poem by Samantha Lee

This poem examines how anti-Asian racism can erase difference and then exploit it. During World War II, some Chinese Americans wore “I am Chinese” badges to avoid being mistaken for Japanese Americans, while Japanese Americans—many of them U.S. citizens—were forcibly removed and incarcerated under Executive Order 9066. Decades later, the model-minority stereotype recast Asian American “success” as proof that racism could be overcome through hard work, masking discrimination and pitting communities against one another. This is a civil-rights issue because equal protection, citizenship, and freedom from racial profiling should never depend on ancestry or stereotypes. In 2026, that history matters whenever people are reduced to a category before they are heard as individuals.

Broken
Poem by Harold Colon

My poem addresses racial profiling and the unjust targeting of Asian Americans by law enforcement, a civil rights violation echoing historical systemic discrimination like the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin. These events established a dangerous precedent of treating people of color as perpetual foreigners and threats. This is fundamentally a civil rights issue because it violates the constitutional right to equal protection under the law, stripping individuals of life, liberty, and safety based on race. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, confronting this ongoing trauma is critical. Our nation was built by immigrants, and its true greatness lies in ensuring that the land of opportunity is a place where anyone can walk home safely, free from fear and discrimination.

ABC - American Black Chinese
Poem by Dennis Wong

"ABC – American Black Chinese" is a poetic exploration of identity, ancestry, and resilience.
This poem seeks to honor the overlooked stories of Black Chinese families, acknowledging both the pain of historical erasure and the pride in a unique lineage. By tracing the footprints of ancestors and celebrating the perseverance of descendants, the poem transforms personal and collective memory into a source of inspiration. This is a testament to the unbreakable spirit and enduring hope of those who forge new identities, drawing power from all facets of their heritage to shape their own place in the world.