A Cantonese Family Archive: Half Wishing, Half Re-Remembering is a personal exploration of my family’s histories across Toishan, Hong Kong and America. The title draws inspiration from Frank Wong’s Forever Chinatown, a series of miniature recreations of San Francisco’s Chinatown interiors. Wong once said, “ All my miniatures are composites. It’s half wishing and half memory. Memories get fuzzy and more beautiful as the years go by.”
I was thrilled to uncover troves of family photographs tucked beneath my maternal grandmother’s bed and in boxes in my paternal grandmother’s kitchen. These albums revealed the quiet performances of family life– the ways gender, love and belonging were etched into vernacular family photos.
Through a blend of documentary and staged scenes drawn from family stories and recollections, I reimagine the intimate tensions and tenderness of life in small Hong Kong apartments. This work reflects on the keepers of family histories, who we perform for, and how we continue to honor our families’ pasts through acts of remembering.
English translation below—
Dear Tiff,
Knowing that you are writing a book makes me so happy for you. Especially when writing about family. Family is supposed to be a place where children feel love, protection and safety. However, from a young age, our family only brought you hurt, fear, and frustration. I hope through this process of writing and making, that you uncover a better understanding of your family, and the differences in traditions and cultures of our past generations. Perhaps through these discoveries, you will gain a deeper understanding of the root of these issues, as well as a better sense of yourself. Problems, though hard, can help not only yourself, but others too. In terms of how I see it, I think the biggest problems lie in people’s self-centeredness, and not solely on the difference of cultural and familial traditions. Centering family around the love of God will bring you blessings and grace. I hope one day that you will put God in your heart- God is love.
Mom. Pauline
3.29.2017