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Okay! Today is February 2, 2023. My name is Gina Matos, and I'm with the Houston Asian American Archive inter—interviewing Joseph Bui. Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to participate in an interview

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with us. Of course, thank you for having me. Okay! We can go ahead and get started with some questions about your early life. So, the first question: if you can tell us when and where were you born?

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Yeah! Um, so I was born here in Houston, Texas, specifically in Alief. Um yeah, in 1999 of October 17th. And–and I've lived here for most of my life, and then for college, I went somewhere else in Maine for college.

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So you primarily grew up in Houston, Texas, correct? Yeah, mhm, pretty much, like, all my life. Yeah. Okay, awesome. So, as many people know, Houston

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is one of the most diverse cities in the country. So, what was it like growing up in Houston, Texas? Or even more specifically, growing up as a Vietnamese American in Houston? Yeah. So as a Vietnamese American in Houston, I think it was definitely—especially in the

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Alief side, I think it's most—it's considered as most diverse in Houston. So there's, like, a big, like, Vietnamese population here. And I'm, like, living very close to the Bellaire Chinatown, which I frequent often with, like, family and friends, and, you know, just for good

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times. But growing up here, it's been, I think, a good experience in terms of, like, diversity. When I went to college in Maine, it was, like, a big culture shock, especially, like, in the New England area.

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But I think for sure, definitely, in high school, there was, like, a large Asian population, definitely at my school at Kerr High School, which was, like, a significant amount of Asians went there and attending there. And it gave me a good sense of, like, who I was, as an Asian American.

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With, like, this community where...we're all frequent with each other, more of a sense of how different I was compared to other people, and a sense of, like, that label of, like, being an Asian American and what that meant to me.

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Yeah, I can totally relate. I grew up in Houston as well. And I would say that it was a very great place for me to really get a sense of my own ethnic identity as well.

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Moving on to the next question: who are your parents? What were your parents' occupations? And if [in] any way, how did it influence your upbringing? Yeah. So, my parents—let's see, my dad works as a caregiver for my

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grandparents. But he is also, like, a general handyman overall for, like, the whole family. Like, there's, like, nothing he can't fix. From washing machines to things out of the garden.

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Anything around the house, really. So he's a big guy about fixing things and fixing up things for our parents. But also, like, a general caregiver. He was almost like a–a stay at home dad in a sense when I was younger.

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And my mother, she works as a hairstylist or a hair cutter. She–she's a small business owner and she's been cutting hair ever since—and she owns, like, a small salon near Westheimer. Yeah, those are my parents [laughs].

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Awesome. You mentioned in your survey that you grew up with first generation parents. What was that experience like? Were there ever any cultural differences and/or clashes between you and your parents growing up?

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Yeah, I think–I think coming here, they had a sense of, like, preserving their Vietnamese identity and, like, the culture they–they grew up in. But at the same time, I think they had a sense of taking in the American way and kind of incorporating

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that into their own identity and, like, learning to survive and adapt in a way. And in some sense, they kind of brought that upon us too. I would like to say, like, compared to other Asian families, I think mine's is definitely, like, kind of more lenient.

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Like they allowed me and my sister to kind of—not do whatever we want, but we had, like, more freedom in terms of, like, staying out a bit later than most, you know, Asian kids where they have, like, curfews and things like that. But my parents were, like, more

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f–free in that aspect? But they did—they were strict on some things. And I think it just took some time, because I would remember arguing my parents where like—over, like, certain ways of, like, how other American kids would

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do things. But my parents would be a bit more strict about that, like sleepovers, like, everyone would be going to sleepovers and my parents were like, "No, you can't sleep at someone else's house" you know? "What happens if it gets caught on fire and burns down?

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It's, like, their fault." And I was just like, "Well I think that's a very crazy coincidence if it were to happen," but yeah, my parents were very conservative about, like, that idea and, like, some of the other aspects of being American [laughs]. Yeah! And that perfectly segues into my next question: What values were

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instilled in you or emphasized growing up? I know you just touched a little bit on this, but if you could expand on that. Sorry, could you–could you repeat the question one more time? I think you were, like, cutting off?

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Yeah, of course, I apologize. I was gonna ask: what in—values were instilled in you and/or emphasized growing up? And that I know that you touched on it a bit, but if you could expand on it a little

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bit. Yeah, I guess, like, some of the values that, like, my parents kind of taught me or definitely, like, you know, like, your typical Asian stereotypes, like, study hard, like, don't focus too much on your relationships with other people.

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You know, sleep well, eat well. But I think the main aspect is just something like working hard, so you can, you know, eventually, later on in life, be rich, be very frugal with your money and, like, invest your time in things that, you know, are, like, an

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investment and, like, would grow into other things. So just, like, my parents would tell me, like, you know, try to join as many clubs as you can. And just, like, invest your time into, like, a hobby, or something that you really want to do, and really invest into something.

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So, like, it would come out greater in the end. But I think—like looking back now from when I was a kid, I think some of the things that definitely stuck out was like, you know, working hard, and you know, never—if you're going to pursue something, never give up on it.

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And definitely just that aspect. You touched on this too a little bit, but did your family practice any particular Vietnamese traditions growing up? Yeah. I think there's, like, a couple traditions that we still do.

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Like just this past January was Tết, or, like, Lunar New Years for a lot of cultures. So we still celebrate that with the passing of the red envelopes. The áo dài which is, like, the garment, as well as—but what we usually do is just, like, have, like, a nice, big family dinner with everyone in our

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family, exchange blessings, and then receive the red envelope, and really just, like, catch up with the whole family and things like that. Um let's see, in terms of other aspects...I'm not quite too sure? Like we still go to Vietnamese mass every Sunday,

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being Catholic. What else? It's—let's see. I think significantly, I've been just, like, kind of watching my family in terms of,

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like, in times of mourning, since, like, our grandfather passed away, like, last January from COVID. And just, like, watching how Vietnamese Catholic members of the church would celebrate death in that passing.

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So I've been kind of, like, watching them in that aspect. But in terms of other traditions... yeah, I think Lunar New Years was, like, the ones that was most recent, and, you know, just, like, cleaning up the house, visiting family and passing blessings.

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And I guess also, like, food, because I think that's a big aspect of, like, my Vietnamese experience, it’s, like, food, the exchange of food and how, like—it's like a way of bringing people together, of, like, who cooks what dishes and, like, who cooks it better, and then the gossip that goes around [laughs], and how to

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[laughs] cook it better. Because, like, a–a lot of people in my family on both sides, my mom and dad, either own restaurants or things like that, or they're just, like, fantastic cooks. But yeah. So I'm curious: being older now,

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do you have a more conscious appreciation of Vietnamese and/or Vietnamese American culture that was—that you grew up with? Yeah! I think–I think especially now, with my art or

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photography is, like, really focusing on, like, my family's lives. Specifically my mom and dad, but also I'm trying to expand it to my extended family. Really focusing on, like, preserving that Vietnamese identity, which I feel like I have a disconnect with.

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You know, growing up here in America, like, you get exposed to American ways. But especially, like, during my time in high school, where it was, like, other Asians—around other Asians, it was–it was more Americanized than Asian. And it was, like, I think I haven't been exposed to that

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Vietnamese aspect and culture as much as I thought I had—would have, compared to, like, other students, especially in college. They—I–I met up with some international students from Vietnam, and they would kind of tell me about, like, their–their lives back in Vietnam, and then compare that to

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me, which is, like, a Vietnamese American. And they were like, "Oh, do you still have this here?" Which is, like, you know, like, these certain types of foods, also celebrations. And I'm like, "Oh, I heard of, like, you know, Lunar New Years, but I haven't heard

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about this celebration and this celebration." So there was, like, a disconnect between, you know, Vietnamese–born students there, versus me as, like, a Vietnamese American student. So there was, like, that disconnect and I'm, like, trying to reconnect with my parents in

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terms of, like, what they went through coming here, the Vietnamese diaspora. And that aspect, so, like, trying to ways—trying to find ways to preserve, like, my family, my mom and dad, and their traditions. Yeah.

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Yeah, we will definitely go more into your art later, specifically, the projects surrounding your family. But I just have a few more questions about your early life and education. [JB: Yeah!] So you also mentioned that you have one sibling?

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Do you have any memorable stories you would like to share? Yeah, well, I guess—let's see. So, my sister, her name is Tiffany Bui and she's only, like, a year under me right now. Right now?

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I mean, all her life. But yeah [laughs], let's see, a memorable memory. Um let's see. When we were younger, our grandma would, like, watch over me and my sister. And my mom and dad would be, like, at work.

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And we would just play, you know, like, dolls and, like, make believe with each other. And then, let's see. I know we would bicker a lot, as, you know, like, brothers and sisters do. And eventually as we got older, we kind of, like, learn to tolerate each other and I

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think—let's see, a very distinct memory is, like—do you know what the Nintendo Wii is? [GM: Of course, yeah.] Okay, yeah. [GM laughs] Yeah. And so, they have the game called Wii Sports.

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And I think I would be a big fan of baseball. And she would—one time she sat right in front of me when I was, like, pitching, and I kind of whacked her [laughs] really hard with the—with the Wii Remote. So that was, like, a pretty core memory, and I was like, "Oh, gosh, did I cause, like, any

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brain damage? It's kind of concerning." [laughs] But yeah, that's a pretty core memory, I think. It's, like, kind of funny when I think about it, but she was, like, breaking out crying. But yeah, I think having my sister around is definitely, like, you know, she was there to,

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like, kind of witness, like, some of the events that me and her went through with our family in terms of, like, celebrations, traveling and—yeah. I think we turned out to be good kids, I hope [laughs]. Did you have any notable mentors in your life?

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It can be artistic mentors, or any mentors in general. Yeah. Let's see, in—I guess, like, my earliest mentors were in high school that I think made a really early impact on me. In high school, I had a band director by the name of Ashley Siegrist.

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She was very—she was, like, a very motivated teacher who would, like, go above and beyond, like, her pay grade. You know, by that fact of, like, you know, teachers don't get paid a lot. Because she would, like, stay after school a lot and work after hours in terms of, like,

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preparing curriculum and also, like, connecting with band members. Um but she would also go above and beyond, like connecting with students, like learning about their, you know, families, and, you know, how she can help out. And also, her idea of the classroom and kind of,

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like, what band represents. Like–like, I remember the first day of class she told me, "I don't care if you're, like—you're a bad musician. But if you show motivation and, like, the drive to practice and work hard, then

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in my eyes you're already a good student, no matter how bad–bad you play. And I think I liked that ideal in terms of, like, you know, it shows that this person has drive and things like that. And she really stuck on me in terms of, like, how she connected with other students

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and how she motivated the band to be, you know, the best person they are. Like, if anything, she wasn't raising musicians, she was just raising, you know, better people in life in general. And she was always very supportive of students, of, like—in terms of,

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like, their ambitions and things that they wanted to do. But she would also, like, help out in–in life in general. Like, I think, one time—a story she would tell me is, like, one of her older students would call her when her–her car broke down, and she was like, "Help me

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Siegrist. I don't know what to do. Like, who do I call?" She would, like, tell them to calm down and break down what to do. Um with another student, like, they were struggling with classes and didn't know how to catch up.

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And she would, you know, sit down with them and, like, break down of, like, a to–do list—a to–do list of, like, things to do in this order to catch up and, you know, pass. But yeah, she was, like, one of the people that stuck on me from high school. And then, my art teacher from high school also stuck on me pretty

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well, in terms of, like, her ideals. I think she was considered Buddhist, but she–she had very strong ideas of, like, how to live your life. And for classes, she would show, like, TED talks of, like—of—what

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was it—of like, people—of, like, mind blowing ideas about life, you know, those life talk videos. And she would–she would—I remember this one video she showed me, it was like, "How–how to live your life to the fullest" or something like that. And it was just, like, talking about, you know, if you're going to pursue

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something, pursue it fully, wholeheartedly. And just, like, you know, those life things like, "Life is like a roller coaster, there'll be up and downs" and things like that. But she was just a very open minded teacher that, you know, took in my passion for

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art and knew how to push me to challenge myself with art and really pursue it. But–but yeah. So going along the lines of talking about you developing your

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interest in the arts, what is your earliest memory of your interest in the arts and/or photography? Yeah! Let's see, when I was in kindergarten [laughs], we would practice writing.

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And I remember for every letter, I would add, like, little curlies at the end of everything. So, like [laughs], with the letter "J,” just, like, curling that, with the "I" just, like, curling that. So, like, I think that was, like, an indicator that this–this guy thinks different

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[laughs]. So they were–they were just like, "Oh, Joseph, stop doing that," you know, "It just takes time away from, like, writing your story," or, like, things like that. "And it just makes it really hard to read low–key." And I was just like, "Okay" [laughs]. And then, I guess moving on to, like, grade school, like, I would always,

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like, have–have passion for, like, drawing. And I was, like, start tracing Pokémon and things like that. And then, like, arts and crafts, like, people would ask me, "Oh, Joseph, can you draw me, like, a duck and things like that?" And I was like, "Yeah, sure."

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Um and then, I guess in high school, I pursued it a little bit further in terms of, like, what I want to do in the future. I remember, like, in my freshman year, I was, like, doing graphic design, and learning Photoshop. And also, like, video editing—I remember just spending a whole

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summer by myself just, like, watching YouTube tutorials of how to use Photoshop, and, like, this movie maker program, like, Sony Vegas or something. And I got really good at it. And, it was–it was a time of my life that was,

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like, I was very passionate in learning how to do art really well. And I got really good at graphic design. But I really hated the fact where we had to go online and, like, buy stock photos in order to, like, Photoshop, composite, and things like

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that. So I was like, "Why don't I pick up a camera and try taking my own photographs?" So I did that my sophomore year, and that's when I got really enticed into the camera. Like, it was, like, a very awesome tool that, you know, captured the moment. And it was, like, very flexible in terms of, like, you know, what you can do

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with it, like, photograph people, landscape, nature, and things like that. So, like, every day, during high school, I would, like, bring my—people would know me as “the camera guy,” because I would, like, carry a camera bag all over me and just take photos of people, random things, and eventually, you know, I had a role as, like,

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the photographer at my school. Like, I wasn't in yearbook and anything, but I was, like, the band photographer, like, photographing as a publicist, but also, you know, just, like, photographing people, my friends and just, like, life's moments, and I eventually got really good at it in high

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school. And then, I started doing—I started charging people for, like, prom photos, graduation photos in high school. And, I think my core memory about my artistic passion was, like, during prom season, I remember I was booked all day from, like, 9am till, like,

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the dance at prom, just, like, taking people's photos [laughs]. But I made a lot of good money that day [laughs], and I showed it to my parents and they're like, "Oh, wow, this is, like—it could be your passion." But, you know, like most Asian parents, they don't really support the arts.

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And, you know, they still don't, really today. But I tried to prove it to them, that, you know, it can be sustainable. And that, you know, I'm working hard for it. But yeah [laughs].

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So, would you say that, generally, you taught yourself photography, and that's where your passion stemmed from, rather than taking classes prior to college? Yeah, I think–I think the classes prior to college definitely, like, motivated me to

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develop my photography practice. Like, you know, it definitely taught me, like, the skill set–skill sets, and also, like, technical skills, you know, like how to use Photoshop how to—what does this setting do in the camera?

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But definitely, for myself, it was definitely finding things that I like to photograph that really developed my, I don't know, career, I guess. And finding things that I like to photograph eventually, and, you know, going to college, you know, still learning about technical skills and things like that, but developing

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my artistic voice in that way. Yeah. You briefly mentioned this, so we're gonna kind of go back to this. So, did your family approve of your career choice at first?

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Uh if you could expand on that? Yeah. So I guess, going back—let's see. I remember early in my life, I told my parents I was going to be an architect. And they were like, "Oh, that's cool,” you know, “You like to draw buildings and things

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like that, and you're, like, a pretty decent artist, and, you know, you're pretty good at math. So maybe that will stem out.” And then, I scrapped that idea. And then I told them, "Oh, I'm going to be a therapist,” cause I liked–I liked talking to people. I like helping people, like a clinical therapist.

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And they're like, "Oh, that's cool. Okay." And–and then, in high school, I told them like, "Oh, never mind, I'm gonna be a photographer." And they're like, "Oh, okay." You know–you know, typical kids things, you know, they're always changing their major, or they're i—what they want to be, you know.

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So, they were, like, just, like, kind of taking that to heart, kind of, like, a lot, because, like, “When you say you're gonna do this, then, you know, stick with it.” So, when I told them that I wanted to be a photographer, like, in high school, and then I told them, like, that–that was what I was going to declare my major as in–in college,

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they're like, "Oh, okay, maybe have, like, a backup, you know, we're kind of worried,” you know, like, the starving artists concept. And, you know, “You're not going to make that much money from photography." And, so in–in college, I took up psychology as my second major, like,

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hoping to do, like, a connection between art and therapy, to do art therapy. And I was like, "Okay, I–I'll try to do a double major thing." That didn't really work out because, like, I took my first class of psychology, and I was like, "Oh, gosh, this is, like, a lot of research–based things." And I was like, "I'm

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not there for the research based things. I'm more into, like, clinical and, like, helping people." But I think in psychology, you have to go through that route to get to the other route. So I was like, "Gosh, that's–that's probably not for me."

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So I decided to focus wholly—or fully on photography. And, yeah, when I–when I told them that, they were like, "Oh, okay, well, we'll do our best to support you." And I was like, "Okay." And they're still on edge about it, because, like, you know, they don't know—they grew up, you know,

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thinking of taking jobs that would pay well, you know, like, being a doctor or lawyer or, like, a businessman. So, they–they–they didn't push me in that aspect, but they–they just showed worry, compared to, like, other–other parents, who were—or my friends would tell me, like, their parents were like, "Oh, they

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really want me to be a doctor and I–I–I don't want to do that." And I'm like, "Yeah, my parents don't really pressure me in that aspect." They just–just want me to do well in school and make a lot of money [laughs]. So–so I think, right now, I'm still trying to prove to my parents that I can be a

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successful photographer and artist in practice. And I hope, so far, all the, you know, career advance or—my achievements, like, kind of prove that to them. Because I remember one time my mom saw my CV or, like, resume and they were

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like, "Wow, I didn't know you did so many art things and got so many accomplishments. It's kind of eye opening." ‘Cause–‘cause–‘cause, low–key, I don't really tell my parents any of my achievements because, like, I–I don't know, I didn't–I didn't think they would care too much about it, ‘cause it was, like, art related.

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But now I like to share, you know, every so often, you know, like, "Oh, this is some new photographs I took for, you know, this company,” and yeah. They're like, "You're making good money," and they're–they're slowly accepting it once, you know, the achievements [laughs] start rolling in or something.

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Yeah. No, looking at your resume, I'm sure they're thoroughly impressed. Like, really. [JB laughs] So going back a bit, what influenced your decision to attend Colby College in Waterville, Maine?

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Yeah. Do you know where [laughs] Maine is? Just–just for starters? I have a general idea [laughs] of where Maine is on the map, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay. ‘Cause, like, most people, when I–when I told, like, my families and

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friends like, "Oh, you know, I go to Colby College in Maine." They're like, "Where's Maine?" And I'm like, "Oh, Canada." I'll tell you Canada, and they're like, "Oh, international!” I’m like, "No." It's just, like, the very top north—northeast of the US.

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And it's very close to Canada, like, literally touching it. But I guess to answer your question, so, in high school, I applied for a scholarship program called Posse—the Posse Foundation Scholarship, which is a full—not a full ride, like, a

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full tuition based scholarship for—that is merit based for individuals who so–who showed, like, exceptional leadership and could crave–carve the future. That's, like, very glamorous and everything.

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But I–I applied for that during my high school years, seeing that my friends applied for it as well and they were, like, very exceptional leaders. And I thought, “Why not, you know, try to get a scholarship?” Because I didn't want to burden my family with, like, money and debt and things like that.

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And I also wanted to go out of state because I wanted, like, a different experience of what I've experienced in Houston, which was kind of, like, a bubble for me, because it was just like mainly, me, and my high school friends and, like, not really exploring, like, the greater Houston area.

00:27:31.230 - 00:27:44.160

So I applied for the Posse Foundation Scholarship. And I made it through all the rounds. I think it was, like, out of 40,000 or 4000 applicants. Posse had, like, 60 schools.

00:27:44.160 - 00:28:01.500

So—or I mean six schools that they were partnered with, and Colby was one of them. So only 60 students made it to their colleges, or were selected from the college. And Posse chose me—specifically Colby College administrators chose me. And I was very grateful for that.

00:28:01.980 - 00:28:14.260

And yeah! I was—the school picked me out of all the schools, and I got to attend Colby College because of Posse. Yeah [laughs].

00:28:16.080 - 00:28:35.600

Wow, that's such an achievement, with all the applicants applying for the scholarship [laughs]. Wow. [JB: Oh, yeah.] So, you graduated recently with a BA in studio art, particularly ph–photography at Colby College. So, what was your experience like as a photography major?

00:28:36.780 - 00:28:53.880

Yeah! Um let's see… as a photography major at Colby College, Colby College is a liberal arts college. And I think their top, like, majors were, like, government, business, and I think CS, which is, like, computer science.

00:28:57.190 - 00:29:11.770

Me being a photographer there was definitely—the commun–the art community there is, like, very small already. And I think in my class, there was only, like, 10 or 12 students in my photography class.

00:29:12.820 - 00:29:29.270

And then, graduating year, there was only, I believe, like, 12 of us with the art major. So it was, like, a very small community, but it was a very close community in that aspect of, like, we knew each other pretty well.

00:29:29.270 - 00:29:42.140

We knew–we knew how to challenge each other and, like, push our artistic endeavors. So I was really happy in that aspect, in terms of, like—going instead to, like, an art school where, like, everyone's an art major.

00:29:42.140 - 00:29:56.270

And, you know, it was–it was a pretty eye opening experience, especially going to Colby College, because it was, like, a liberal arts school. So you had to take classes in psychology, science, math, and taking all these classes was definitely, like, eye opening, even though I

00:29:56.270 - 00:30:11.960

was just an art major, and that's all I wanted to do. But it was interesting to take, you know, classes about logic, take classes about social science, social psychology, geology, and things like that.

00:30:11.960 - 00:30:26.380

So—but I'm grateful for the experience that Colby gave me in terms of, like, you know, internship opportunities. I got to design my own internship to go to Seattle and be, like, a photo intern that—the whole curriculum I basically design myself.

00:30:27.800 - 00:30:42.880

Could have went abroad, but COVID hit. But a lot of meaningful connections, for sure. Just curious, where would you have gone abroad? If, you know, COVID didn't strike?

00:30:43.370 - 00:30:58.440

Yeah yeah. So if I–if COVID didn't hit, I would have gone to Glasgow, which is near Scotland. Um so, yeah, I would have gone there for, like, their art school program. One of my friends did the previous year.

00:30:58.850 - 00:31:13.060

And they made, like, artist books, and really learned how to handcraft it, you know, like, books in general, like, sewing, types of paper, things like that. Yeah, I never knew there was so much that went into books, in terms of, like, designing it, and also making it.

00:31:13.900 - 00:31:30.790

But yeah. That's such a shame. We're going to talk more about how the COVID pandemic affected your art and your major later. So, did you participate in any other extracurriculars in college?

00:31:32.360 - 00:31:48.450

Yeah, so, let's see. In college I participated in—gosh, I'm getting flashbacks of college [laughs]. Let's see there was—I helped run the Colby Photography Club, which was on hiatus for

00:31:48.450 - 00:32:06.660

a bit, but then I came–I came as a freshman with these other upperclassmen to self–start it up again. Helping with the POC community, which is the people of color community. There's this center called the Pugh Center, which focuses on diversity and

00:32:06.660 - 00:32:23.240

inclusion and equity. And just, like, really participating in all their events and, like, helping, you know, photograph things, but also, like, helping my friends who ran it, programming there. So helping them, as well as—gosh, there

00:32:24.510 - 00:32:39.990

was a—there was a Craft Club. There was—man, there were so many clubs that—like I was, like, a participant in, but not really, like, running it. Um yeah, there was, like, Outdoors Club, which I–I find myself really enjoying, like,

00:32:40.160 - 00:32:59.030

any water based activities, like, kayaking, canoeing, things like that, camping. Yeah, I—yeah, I think that's all l can think about on top of my head [laughs]. So would you say that you're just a person who has a lot of different interests?

00:32:59.130 - 00:33:14.000

And so that's why you're involved in so many extracurriculars? Or do you think that you pursue extracurriculars to find passions outside of your art, you know? Or it can be a combination of the two?

00:33:15.310 - 00:33:30.350

Yeah! So I think for sure, like, I think definitely one of the questions that run through my mind is definitely, like, “What do I do outside of photography?” And I find myself, like, conflicted that I blend in my photography as, like, my personal and business life.

00:33:30.890 - 00:33:46.320

And, like, I'm trying to find things that I do outside of photography, and find passions in that. But also in college, I was just trying to, like, make new friends in general [laughs]. So I did all these extracurriculars that seemed fun, and, you know, I built some relationships with people and friends.

00:33:46.320 - 00:34:00.990

And especially professors, you know, they would join us in these activities and just trying to build meaningful connections in terms of, like, progressing work. But, yeah, I think–I think that was mostly it. But yeah.

00:34:04.560 - 00:34:22.340

Awesome. So, we're gonna now get into more of your career. I'm going to start with some more specific questions about some of your recent artistic projects. And then, from there, we'll move into more general questions about the specific ways that you approach your craft and your experience as an artist.

00:34:22.730 - 00:34:37.510

Um so, you created the artistic project, "Queer Journey" in college, in which you took portraits and photos, conducted interviews, and all in all recorded the narratives of the queer community in Waterville, Maine.

00:34:37.510 - 00:34:49.160

What was this experience like? What was your inspiration for this project? And what were some of the highlights and/or challenges in the creation process?

00:34:50.250 - 00:35:06.090

Yeah! So, I guess—so, that project started in 2021, I believe. We were invited back to college from COVID. And there was, like, very strict parameters in terms of, like, we could be on campus,

00:35:06.180 - 00:35:22.090

but we couldn't go to classes really, mask mandate, and also rigorous testing, we were tested, like, three times a week for COVID. And they also, like, had quarantine zones and things like that. So it was very—it was, like, a hard time doing this project cause, like,

00:35:22.460 - 00:35:40.000

you know, people would, like, either, like, be getting COVID, too busy, or they just wanted, you know, to isolate. So, that project started as, like, a—as a–as a class assignment where we were supposed to make a photo book about a project that

00:35:40.000 - 00:35:58.260

we wanted to do. And with me, I wanted to do a project about the queer community on our campus. And really focus in on their narratives. I was inspired by this artist named Jim Goldberg, and his project, which is called "Rich and Poor,” where he photographed, like, a poverty

00:35:58.260 - 00:36:11.280

stricken community. And also taking their narrative where he would give them the power to, like, write down what they wanted to say about themselves, about their life and things like that, which accompanied with their portrait.

00:36:12.010 - 00:36:28.690

So I wanted to do that same idea, but for the queer community, because I find it sometimes underrepresented, especially on my campus, but also focusing on the BIPOC community, people of color. Because that's an even smaller community in our community.

00:36:29.680 - 00:36:47.290

Because the college I went to was, like, predominantly white, and I wanted to make a statement of being Asian American and also queer, but also give the voice to, you know, other queer, you know, POC artists. So, the process through that was, like, asking people would they be

00:36:47.290 - 00:37:05.340

willing to interview with me, and also, like, having a sh–short, like, photoshoot session. And it was a–it was a quite—it was quite the endeavor, because I would, like, dedicate a majority of my day interviewing people, and also taking their portraits and, you know, sitting with

00:37:05.340 - 00:37:21.310

them. But—and it was also eye opening to me in terms of, like, learning how they grew up, their queer experience, and things like that. And I think in total, there was 80 participants, I believe, somewhere around there in the book as well.

00:37:23.050 - 00:37:39.990

And it was–it was really quite big, and I hope to do something similar like that in Texas o–or working on it for Houston. But yeah, hope–hopefully that answers your question [laughs]. Yeah, for sure. So more recently,

00:37:40.470 - 00:37:57.460

you touched on this earlier in the interview, but you artistically documented the story of your family in Houston, Texas, in a photo book and series, "I love you, I miss you have a good day." So, what was this experience like? What was your inspiration for this project?

00:37:57.810 - 00:38:13.250

And, again, what were some of the highlights and/or challenges in the process? Yeah! So, let's see, I guess for short introduction of what the project is, "I love you, I miss you, have a good day", it's, like, a short phrase I would tell my

00:38:13.250 - 00:38:31.910

mom before she left for work, like, really quickly before she, like, ran out the door, which has sort of become, like, a prayer to me now. Hence, also the title, which focuses on my parents and, like, my love for them, and, you know, this idea of, like, their aging, you

00:38:32.040 - 00:38:48.410

know. Eventually they'll pass away, so just, like, preserving their–their time with me, and, you know, these little moments. This is especially relevant because I started that project when I was sent home because of–of the COVID pandemic.

00:38:49.080 - 00:39:06.260

Because my sh–my school got shut down. And they basically forced all students to leave campus and go home. And having came home, I wanted to do—I had to do a project for my photo class, and I decided to docum–document

00:39:06.260 - 00:39:22.610

my family. And that's how it began. And I would just, like, kind of, like, consciously look at my parents, photograph them and see, I guess, the humanity in them, but also just document them while I still can.

00:39:23.470 - 00:39:37.790

Because I was really scared, you know, COVID was going to, you know, catch one of us and we'll pass away. Um, it caught my grandpa, which is really scary. So, just, like, documenting these moments, and, you know, down the line, I

00:39:37.860 - 00:39:57.160

think it would do, like, a great good for me, my sister, and also the rest of my family to s–look back on, like, you know, these memories that we might have forgotten or these moments of, like, who they were, and things like that. But yeah, I think

00:39:57.640 - 00:40:10.370

that is the essence of the project. It’s just, like, capturing love. And, you know, in some other senses, you know, also, like, the Am–Asian American identity. And I'm trying to dig deeper into that aspect of,

00:40:10.370 - 00:40:25.230

like, I'm still continue it in some ways of putting into color work (?), but also focusing on, you know, culture, tradition, and, like, trying to go back to Vietnam and photograph where they were born and from. And, yeah.

00:40:28.090 - 00:40:42.990

Would you say that you learned new things about your family? Or got closer with them throughout the process? Oh, yeah, for sure. Like, I rem—they're very, like, reserved people. Like, they wouldn't tell you about, you know, their life unless you ask them.

00:40:44.620 - 00:41:01.290

Well, my mom would tell, you know, me and my sister about her life a lot. But I–I've kind of, like, tried to dig deeper in terms of, like, asking my family like, "Oh, you know, your childhood, your–” things like that. “Your upbringings." And also, you know, about our extended family, because I wanted

00:41:01.290 - 00:41:13.420

to try to include them as well. So definitely, like, deepening the bond between me and my family. And my parents especially. Um and, you know, having them kind of

00:41:13.960 - 00:41:30.010

take me in, as, you know, a person observing their life, but also as, like, a loved one. ‘Cause some—at the beginning of the project, they–they felt, like, they had to smile for the camera, feel very posed. But eventually, they kind of saw me as, like, a fly on the wall, just, like, there

00:41:30.040 - 00:41:49.520

just, like, capturing whatever they're doing and, you know, just being a bit more candid about things. Um, so, for both of the projects that we just talked about, what was the—how long did it take you to create

00:41:49.970 - 00:42:07.080

each of those projects? Yeah! So I think for "Queer Journey,” it took a year because it was, like, a s–two semester long project to produce. For “Queer Journey,” it's still ongoing in some sense, but the

00:42:07.080 - 00:42:25.740

book and exhibition was made within two to three years. Yeah. Um, did you—for the second one, did you mean "Queer Journey"?

00:42:25.740 - 00:42:36.840

Or do you mean the second project? You said that "Queer Journey" was ongoing? Or was your fam—is your family's project still ongoing? Oh, yeah. The family project’s still ongoing.

00:42:36.840 - 00:42:47.430

Yeah, yeah. [GM: Oh, okay. I thought—yeah, I thought—] So "Queer Journey" took only a year. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that's what I thought you meant. Okay, yeah. Sorry about that [laughs].

00:42:48.680 - 00:43:05.530

Why did you choose to be based in Houston rather than New York, Chicago, San Francisco, out—LA, all those places? Yeah. Actually, well, Houston was–has always been home.

00:43:05.530 - 00:43:19.170

So I'm, like, a bit more familiar with the area. But also, New York is hella expensive, oh my gosh. Let me tell you, like, I have a friend who lives there. She pays, like, three thousand five hundred for her room.

00:43:19.170 - 00:43:33.240

And she has three other roommates. I was like, "Damn," and it's small compared to—it's, like, the size of my room right now. And I was just, like, “Oh gosh, I might as well live in Houston, you know, with my family.” And I felt—I tried—I

00:43:33.680 - 00:43:50.190

remember staying at my friend's for a week in New York. And it was just, like, very cramped, very busy, very in a hurry and I was like, “It's–it's not—not for me, or at least not yet.” I remember when I was younger, I was like, "Oh, I'm gonna be a famous photographer living in New York with

00:43:50.190 - 00:44:08.020

a studio," and I'm like, "Yeah, that's a pipe dream now," cause money's kind of tight [laughs]. So I kind of—right now I'm based in Houston. So I'm trying to, like, discover the art community here, the Asian community here, and things like that and do, like, projects surrounding community, family here.

00:44:09.040 - 00:44:28.440

Which is good. I think Houston is developing in the art world really well. Like, Houston Contemporary Photography Center. And a bunch of, like, also, like, art nonprofits, that I'm trying to, like, participate in. But the art scene here in Houston is very rich in terms of diversity.

00:44:28.870 - 00:44:42.520

And the artists you meet here have so many, you know, great ideas. So I think I made the right choice of, like, staying in Houston for a bit at least. Just so I could c–connect with community, stay close to family, and, you know, save money at least [laughs].

00:44:47.490 - 00:45:03.660

Yeah, you actually just answered the question I was going to ask. I was going to ask what the photography scene is like in Houston? So, I guess to ask a question going off of that, what kinds of photography are most

00:45:05.500 - 00:45:25.850

popular in Houston? Yeah! Let's see… I guess a big one would be, like, you know, portrait and, like, wedding photographers. They always make good money because, you know, everyone's having weddings and things

00:45:25.850 - 00:45:44.240

like that. And I think—that's the community I see on Facebook, because I'm part of, like, a couple Facebook photography groups. And that's things I see are, like, weddings, portraits, lifestyle, fashion, and things like that.

00:45:46.330 - 00:46:04.640

In terms of the fine art world, there is a big fine arts scene, I believe in Houston. I'm just trying to, like, find it and dig into it [laughs]. Yeah. So, what techniques do you use the most and/or

00:46:05.130 - 00:46:14.730

which do you prefer? Is it digital photography that you stick to? Do you dabble in film? Yeah.

00:46:16.020 - 00:46:34.440

Yeah! During college, I used a lot of film cameras. And for the family project, that was mainly film. And I started mixing in black and white digital photography. And the sake of money [laughs]—money's gonna be big—I don't do so

00:46:34.440 - 00:46:50.640

much film anymore. I will–I mostly focus on digital because, you know, with a digital camera, you can take, like, unlimited photos, delete it, retake a bunch of photos. So, you know you save–compared to film, where you have to buy rolls on rolls, and then also send it off to get developed,

00:46:52.180 - 00:47:11.440

you save a lot of money [laughs], so nowadays, I only stick with digital photography. Just curious, what was the first camera you ever had? Yeah. Oh, okay, first camera?

00:47:11.980 - 00:47:31.450

The first camera I had specifically was, like, a Nikon D 3300. Yeah, it was, like, a beginner DSLR camera that I got after my birthday, ‘cause I told my

00:47:31.450 - 00:47:45.270

mom, you know, like, “Being a graphic designer is cool and all, but I want to try photography,” when—back in high school. So she got it for me. And that was the first camera I got. And I remember the first picture I took was through the mirror of me and my mother, when

00:47:45.270 - 00:48:00.870

she showed me the box. And I was like "Huh!" Just remembering that now, yeah [laughs]. So, going off of that, what do you like to photograph the most?

00:48:04.880 - 00:48:22.420

What I like to photograph the most…definitely people. I–I consider myself as, like, a portrait photographer. And, like, just, like, photographing people has always been…nice. Nice, but also very—it's a great experience for me in terms of, like, learning new

00:48:22.420 - 00:48:38.480

people, being more social with people. I consider myself, like, an ambivert, like, both extroverted and introverted at times. So I've been using photography as a way of, like, meeting people, photographing strangers, friends, and kind of, like, learning more about their lives.

00:48:38.480 - 00:48:55.690

Like, as I'm, like, photographing your portrait, I would ask questions, like, “Oh, you know—” find out things that we might relate in, things that you'd like to do. So I think using photography and photographing people as a means of, like, getting to know the person is, like, a–a tool I use.

00:48:57.500 - 00:49:15.220

And I find photographing people very—very fun for me. Like, you know, you get to see details that, you know, you wouldn't see in the face or, like, aspects of their life. Like, I try to photograph very authentically and candidly about people's lives and, like,

00:49:15.220 - 00:49:30.940

photographing what you like to do. And I also work kind of as, like, a photo journalist, kind of? Like photographing for, like, newspapers and things like that, photographing for news stories. And they—it has really, t—like, how to look at

00:49:31.000 - 00:49:46.410

people and interview them and, you know, like, how to photograph them for, you know, public—for the public to see, you know. Um so how do you get that story out there about someone when you've only met them for, like, a few minutes? But yeah.

00:49:49.790 - 00:50:06.550

Being an ambivert, do you like collaboration or do you prefer working alone? Let's see. Hmm…I don't know, I find–I find, like, photography is, like, kind of lonely sometimes [laughs].

00:50:06.980 - 00:50:25.130

Like, it's hard to—well, in some sense it is collaborative because it's, like, you and also, like, the person you're photographing. Um so I guess in that sense, it's very collaborative, and I find it enjoyable in that aspect. Some of the aspects that I don't like, you know, like,

00:50:25.130 - 00:50:43.720

scheduling, you know, finding time to photograph each other, and things like that. But I'm just, like, being an ambivert—it's nice. Like I use—I–I think, my extrovert side definitely sticks out a bit more when I'm, like, photographing people and, like, trying to get to know people.

00:50:45.020 - 00:50:58.510

The inch when–when that's all done, you know, I get tired and just, like, recluse myself to my room and edit the photos. And I guess it's, like, my introvert comes in and, you know, just put on some good jams and just make fun edits [laughs].

00:50:58.690 - 00:51:13.680

Yeah. You touched on this a bit, but what is your mission as an artist? Or in other words, what do you want your art to communicate to its viewer?

00:51:15.490 - 00:51:37.530

Yeah! Yes, let's see… I guess the essence of my art is to photograph and explore the themes of, like, of community, home. Um yeah, community home, relationships, and just,

00:51:37.830 - 00:51:53.700

like, people in general. Like, I find myself very interested in learning about people's lives, their upbringings. And, you know, exploring the many identities that I have, you know, like, being queer, being Asian American,

00:51:54.990 - 00:52:09.430

being, like, a very family oriented person. So, like, just, like, looking at those identities that I have, and exploring a bit more through photography. For example, you know, like, photographing the queer community on my campus,

00:52:10.890 - 00:52:21.550

photographing my family. And, you know, like, just, like, photographing for, like, news outlets and, like, trying to learn more about the community. But that's, like, my main mission, I believe, for

00:52:25.670 - 00:52:38.530

my art. And then—previous interview, you said, you're drawn to explore the relationships between people, community, identity, and culture. So what exactly is it in these relationships that you find most

00:52:38.530 - 00:52:56.420

compelled to explore? Like, which one out of those? Or what about the relationships between people, community, identity, and culture—like, what about it is so interesting to you?

00:52:56.420 - 00:53:15.070

What do you think that you can capture in your art relating to that? Oh, okay–okay. I guess, like, let's see…I guess what's most fascinating is, like, in my experiences as a photographer is, like,

00:53:15.100 - 00:53:34.720

listening to people's stories and learning about it, and how do I portray that fascination like this–this peak of interest to the world, you know, through a photograph. So it's basically my job to, you know, relay that story to other people.

00:53:35.180 - 00:53:53.130

Um so, I think—does that answer your question? I can't tell. But, yeah, just, like, finding ways of, like, sh–showing the world my interest in these subjects, to the world through photography. Yeah [laughs].

00:53:55.610 - 00:54:12.730

I think another way to rephrase it to expand on the question, like...oh, I just forgot what I was going to say. We'll come back to that once I remember it, I promise that I will.

00:54:12.900 - 00:54:30.480

[JB: Okay, no worries.] [JB laughs] [laughs] Okay, so do you feel like you have a responsibility to fulfill as a queer Vietnamese American artist? Does the responsibility feel heavy or even a burden at times in your

00:54:30.480 - 00:54:46.680

work? Hmm, I guess with that–with that question in mind, I'm trying to—I guess I'm still trying to answer that. As I'm starting this new project, which is–which is like "Queer Journey,” except

00:54:46.680 - 00:55:05.370

focusing, queer Asian folks in Houston. So, I'm trying to work out—well, right now I'm just, like, photographing, like, queer Asian friends that I have and, like, getting their narrative and their portraits done. And I'm hoping to expand it to the greater Houston community.

00:55:06.940 - 00:55:27.270

And as I'm talking to folks and, like, asking them if they would, you know, take part in this project, there is definitely a sense of—of pushback. Because, like, some people aren't out yet to, like, either their parents or to friends and things like that, so they're very

00:55:27.270 - 00:55:43.820

closeted still. And they're not sure if they want to, you know, put themselves through this project, ‘cause they don't know where it's gonna go and things like that. So, I guess, you know, being Asian and queer is definitely very hard.

00:55:43.820 - 00:55:57.790

It's like two worlds that can't really, you know–you know, happen, or be in. Like, at some moments, I find myself, you know, conflicted between, like, my Asian identity and also my queer identity.

00:55:58.490 - 00:56:16.880

‘Cause, you know, in some sense, you can't really exist in–in Asian aspects and culture, or, you know, you’re–you’re a burden. But, yeah. Do you feel artistic burnout?

00:56:16.950 - 00:56:35.570

And if so, how do you overcome it? Yeah! I think–I think I feel artistic burnout quite–quite a lot. ‘Cause, like, I'm, like—cause I'm, as I said before, like, I'm trying to prove to my parents, you know, that my art career is sustainable, I

00:56:35.570 - 00:56:48.020

can make a living like this. And I find myself, like, challenging myself a lot in terms of, like, making work, pushing out there trying to get grants and things like that. And it’s–it's competitive.

00:56:48.550 - 00:57:05.400

And I find myself burning out a lot. And how I recover is, like, kind of, like, stepping away from the camera or the computer and just, like, enjoying time with, like, friends...[inaudible] eating, or go–going kayaking and things like that.

00:57:06.970 - 00:57:22.090

And—I was going to an idea, but I totally lost it [laughs]. It was—but…yeah, I think that's–that's—I hope that answered your question. No, for sure it does.

00:57:23.780 - 00:57:38.170

What have been your proudest accomplishments in your artistic career thus far? And what do you hope to do in the future? Oh, okay, let's see. Proudest moment was definitely when I had my senior exhibition back in college.

00:57:40.040 - 00:57:52.990

That was, like, the first moment my work was hanged in a museum. And it was so nice to work with a museum to, you know, bring my vision to life and show off the project that I've been working on for, like, two, three years.

00:57:53.960 - 00:58:09.150

And also, like, showing it to my family at the museum, ‘cause it was, like, their first time seeing it as a book and also, like, framed on the wall. And that is my proudest moment. And for the future, I put, like, high goals on myself

00:58:09.280 - 00:58:26.030

[laughs]. Just, like, to keep pushing me up there, like, definitely get a solo exhibition at, like, MoMA, or, like, these big museums eventually, have my photo book published by, like a–like, a big publisher, like, Aperture or something like that.

00:58:27.050 - 00:58:44.140

And also, like, photographing for, like, Vogue magazine,Vanity Fair, and, like, their cover or something. So those are, like, some of my goals [laughs]. What are your views on making a profit in the arts?

00:58:45.450 - 00:59:01.680

Meaning, how do you balance appropriately pricing pieces while also maintaining accessibility? Ooh, that is a very deep question. Let's see. I think there definitely has to be a balance between

00:59:02.240 - 00:59:19.350

accessibility but also, like, making a profit. ‘Cause you don't want to undersell your work. Because that just, you know, determines the value of you as an artist. But also, you know, valuing something, like, super high, it’s just, like, crazy enough,

00:59:19.350 - 00:59:37.090

because no one's going to want to buy it, and it's just going to sit there. And in terms of accessibility, you know, having it in some form where, like, you can give out to people is also really nice. ‘Cause that's—I think that's something I'm trying to work on as well in–as

00:59:38.890 - 00:59:53.360

an artist. I find great fascination in photo books, ‘cause they're–they don't—they can belong in a museum, but at the same time, they are books, so they belong on people's shelves, libraries, that, you know, anybody can almost, like, access.

00:59:55.010 - 01:00:11.990

So, compared to, like, a museum environment, where, like, people need admission to get in. You have to work with, you know, a curator and that museum in order to hang your work and everything. I find the book form very beautiful, in terms of, like, giving it to people,

01:00:12.090 - 01:00:29.510

very accessible, and it's like a museum in a book, you know? You can curate it yourself, put pictures here and there. Yeah. So, do you think art goes underappreciated on the

01:00:29.830 - 01:00:43.900

internet and/or social media when it's accessible to the public or free? What are your thoughts on that? Mmm, I think—I might be biased because I'm in an–in

01:00:44.260 - 01:01:00.660

an art bubble. Because, like, you know, people value photographs, and things like that. Especially, I've been eyeing this one Instagram page, which–which focuses on New York Times and their print newspapers.

01:01:04.090 - 01:01:17.220

And the value of, like, freelance photographers, and, like, if you remove it from, like, the newspaper, it will just be, like, text and not so much anything else. Um in terms of like—sorry, can you repeat your question one more time [laughs]? Sorry.

01:01:18.950 - 01:01:38.810

Of course–of course. Because you were mentioning the possible, like, underappreciation of art when it's not priced or correctly–or—you were just saying that, like,

01:01:39.270 - 01:01:53.540

artists can undersell themselves. And so, I was thinking that when art is, quote unquote, free on the internet and/or social media, do you think it can be underappreciated?

01:01:55.070 - 01:02:05.600

Oh, okay. Free artworks on the internet. Would you–would you consider that, like–like, an Instagram photograph? Or... It can be anything [JB: Okay!].

01:02:05.610 - 01:02:17.670

I was just asking in general. Yeah, I think–I think, ‘cause I have a–I have a hard time defining what a free picture is. So I'm gonna just, like, kind of describe that as, like, photographs, you could, like,

01:02:17.670 - 01:02:31.040

find online and things like that. I think there's value in every, you know, art piece and photographs that people make. It's just up to the person, like, the public, the audience, but also as the

01:02:31.040 - 01:02:43.790

artist to value that work. So, like, just finding that balance between of how to price yourself in terms of, like, the public eye, but also, like, your eye. You know, you might value yourself, like, really highly, but people might just see you,

01:02:43.960 - 01:02:58.110

you know, as, like, one in a million, or–or just, like, within a million other artists that do, like, the same line of work. So, I think there's a very—a lot of hidden gems out there in people's photographs.

01:02:58.160 - 01:03:14.900

And when artists see that it's–it's gathering a large audience, then that should, in some sense, make the artists feel very valuable and, you know, raise their value and things like that. So it's, like, a relationship between, you know, the artist and the audience, in terms

01:03:14.900 - 01:03:26.560

of value [laughs]. Who are some of your favorite photographers? And do you model your style based on others, or do you like developing a style of your own?

01:03:28.600 - 01:03:45.890

Yeah! I have–I have a lot of photographers that I follow. Actually, I have two lists, which are, like, dead and alive photographers. But [laughs] let's see, I—some of the photographers that I follow today are, like, Annie Leibovitz.

01:03:47.300 - 01:04:04.820

And some, like, the greats are, like, Richard Avedon. I'm blanking out...Well, I guess also some of the other photographers that I follow today that are, you know, Asian just like me, and also, like, in the art industry, are, like,

01:04:07.140 - 01:04:22.920

Justin—I think Justin J. Wee and…Well there's a couple of photographers out there that I follow, I just need to pull up that list. But I find myself looking to their works as inspiration.

01:04:24.170 - 01:04:39.400

I remember back in college, I would, like, pull out a whole collection of photo books and just, like, try to see through their eye of what they see in their subjects or, like, through people. It's, like, seeing how they photograph people and, like, trying to mimicking that

01:04:39.400 - 01:04:53.070

but also giving it—trying to give my own style to it, you know, in terms of, like, who do I photograph? How do I photograph them? And things like that. So I'm definitely inspired by, you know, photographers and

01:04:53.670 - 01:05:03.150

the–the greats—portrait photographers out there. But I'm always constantly trying to get inspired by them and trying to give my own creative swing to it. But yeah.

01:05:06.960 - 01:05:27.890

On a different note—this is sort of a deeper question, but do you believe that all art should have a purpose? Hmm, my first response is "No” [laughs]. I feel like art can just be, you know, for the heck of it, you know, it

01:05:28.090 - 01:05:40.350

doesn't need to have a purpose. You know, like, I don't know, someone drew a stick figure, it doesn't have to have a purpose. You know, it's just–it's just there. But I think people can give art a purpose, you know, like, you can make it without a

01:05:40.350 - 01:05:56.550

purpose, but someone else might find relevance in it and then give it a purpose. So, yeah, that's–that's my answer for that. So art–art doesn't necessarily have to have a purpose, but it inherently—it can gain a purpose, I guess?

01:06:01.840 - 01:06:20.420

In addition to being a Houston based editorial portrait photographer, it appears you're a sort of multimedia artist? Like alongside some of your photography projects and publications, you write as well. So, I wanted to ask, what is your writing artistic process like

01:06:20.440 - 01:06:39.040

compared to your photography artistic process? Wait. I write? I didn't know I wrote [laughs]. Or there's just some written pieces, whether it's just ex–explaining what your work means—I mean, it's well written, so I

01:06:39.040 - 01:06:57.690

assumed that you [JB laughs] had an artistic interest in writing. Yeah! I guess I dabbled a little bit into—I think poetry is very beautiful, low-key. Like that little short phrase that I put in my family project of, like, kind of like, "my father's the handyman.

01:06:58.210 - 01:07:11.140

He's a"—oh gosh, I can't remember. But, like, that–that little excerpt, I—that–that came from the heart when I was writing, like, my artist statement. So, I think th–the things that you were looking at were, like, artist statements,

01:07:11.140 - 01:07:30.500

where I spent, like, a lot of time of, like, how do I describe this work to people and how do I express my feelings as an artist into it? And specifically looking at my family project, I think poetry is a beautiful way of, like, expressing yourself, if not through imagery, through words, very

01:07:30.500 - 01:07:44.140

poetically, you know, almost, like, artistically as well. So yeah, I never considered myself as a writer, because I always have grammar troubles and things like that [laughs]. So yeah!

01:07:44.620 - 01:08:00.040

Thank you [laughs]. What are your insights on Asian American representation in photography, or further, in the visual art scene? And/or what are your hopes for the future?

01:08:05.310 - 01:08:21.190

In terms of Asian American photographers, in art scene, we can use more of it, heck, a lot more. Because I think in history, it's, like, very white dominant. So, you know, more Asian photographers is always great, you know, we always—we all have

01:08:21.190 - 01:08:38.640

different perspectives and it's nice to bring that in, especially through the BIPOC community, you know, we need more BIPOC photographers. Covering events, covering their stories, and making art because a lot—as the world becomes more diverse, especially, like, U.S, also Houston, you

01:08:38.640 - 01:08:57.280

know, having more diverse based art is great, because we—people can relate to it, express themselves, and, you know, tell their story. I think that's the main form of how I use my art to tell my own story. And it should be like that for, you know, other artists and, you know, what inspires

01:08:57.280 - 01:09:14.340

them. Great! You mentioned this when discussing your college experience, but how did the COVID–19 pandemic affect your field?

01:09:16.160 - 01:09:35.610

Yeah! So I was still in school at that time and when COVID hit, at that time I believe I was, like, still trying to figure out my situation to go abroad. Handling my classes and things like that. So when I got the announcement that, you know, our school would be shutting down

01:09:35.650 - 01:09:52.390

everything, everyone would need to go home and things like that. It came in really fast and I'm still, like, trying to process of, like, what happened during those times because it's a bit of, like, a blur. But basically, you know, I couldn't go study abroad anymore.

01:09:52.390 - 01:10:08.230

COVID shut down everything. Like, I got sent home back to Houston, and class would be resuming over Zoom and that's–that's what happened during most of the time during, like, January through, like, May of that last semester of

01:10:08.280 - 01:10:23.490

college. And that's when, like, you know—it was almost, like, I was encouraged to do a project about my family because, like, you know, the feelings of, like, losing them because of COVID, or it gave me that passion to photograph them during that time, so, yeah.

01:10:29.930 - 01:10:43.930

Okay, we're gonna move into community involvement now. Ugh, I can't remember the question I was gonna ask, the question where I was talking about the relationships between people, community, identity, and culture.

01:10:44.260 - 01:10:58.560

I'm so sorry, it just has been that kind of day [JB: No, don't worry about it] [laughs]. I remember, it was, like, something about, like–like, what was the one thing interesting about it, or something that you want sh—to, like, try to capture through photography or something like that?

01:10:59.030 - 01:11:13.010

Yeah. Something like that. But it's just been that kind of day, so we'll go ahead and move forward. Maybe— [JB: Don't worry about it.] Alright [laughs]. Okay, so you are, or have been involved with the National Press

01:11:13.010 - 01:11:28.020

Photographers Association, Diversify Photo Up Next, and the Asian American Journalists Association. Can you speak on your experiences with them? Yeah! Well, I'm fresh out of college, so I just, like, [laughs] recently

01:11:28.020 - 01:11:46.740

joined those. But so far, it's been great. Let's see, with NPPA, I've joined their mentorship program, which connected me with, like, a professional photographer who could help me, you know, advance me into my next career stages as a photographer.

01:11:47.200 - 01:12:05.050

And that has been great, working with Jared Soares, who's an amazing, like, portrait photographer that this other photographer connected me with. So he's been like critiquing my work and, like, kind of, like, how to propel myself

01:12:05.050 - 01:12:21.950

further in my career. So, I'm very grateful for that, for Jared, for NPPA, and my friend, Marie, who con–connected me with Jared. And, let's see, with a—with the Asian American Journal–Journalism Association

01:12:27.660 - 01:12:44.070

[inaudible]. It’s an American journalist (?), like, producing work, and also the stories that they represent. I hope to be more involved with them eventually down the line. I just haven't had a chance to, like, connect to the Houston cohort. And with Diversify Photo, I–I'm a big fan of

01:12:44.070 - 01:12:57.940

them. They represent, you know, the BIPOC photographers and artist community a–around the U.S. and also, like, greater, around the world. But it's–it's a great—not company, a great, like—society

01:13:01.400 - 01:13:18.570

to be in because, like, it represents a lot. And I've met a lot of great people through Diversify Photo, photo editors, friends, photographers, and just, like, learning from them, and just knowing that we're a part of this community that you know, does good to, you know,

01:13:18.830 - 01:13:38.050

photo–photo—the photo industry [laughs], yeah. On a side note, we'll come back to community involvement right after this question, but just because I'm curious, because I have almost no involvement in photography, you were

01:13:38.050 - 01:13:54.550

talking about—you've mentioned about, like, your mentor critiquing you or helping you? What exactly does your photography professor or mentor help you with in terms of photography, when

01:13:54.550 - 01:14:08.540

they're critiquing or—and/or giving you advice? Do they help clarify your purpose or, like, story you want to be told in that specific piece? Or is it more technical?

01:14:09.780 - 01:14:24.610

Yeah, just generally speaking, what does critique mean in photography? Yeah! I think it's–it's all of those above. Yeah. It's all of those above, like, in terms of, like, how

01:14:24.610 - 01:14:43.340

do you want to proceed forward with your art career, in terms of, like, you know, like, technical issues, you know, with your camera, or with the programs you’re using, or how to do a certain technique better, you know? Like how to produce a better photo, how to better light something.

01:14:43.980 - 01:15:05.030

So your professor or, like, mentor can help you in that aspect. But also how to better develop the story that you're trying to photograph, in terms of, like, how to connect to this community better. Can they connect—can your mentor connect you to other people who might have,

01:15:05.030 - 01:15:21.320

like, a better insight to the story? And also, they're also there to help challenge you a bit more like, "How can you photograph this person in a better light in terms of, like, what they're going through, or what they're trying to tell you?" And also trying to

01:15:21.560 - 01:15:37.700

dive deeper into people's stories. Sometimes you just, like, cover the surface of–of, like, people's backgrounds and people's narratives. But there's also, like, deeper things that you can dive into if the subject allows it, like, you know, people's traumas,

01:15:38.110 - 01:15:50.120

people's hardships, and how to get access to those stories and being—allowing the subject to be vulnerable with you as a photographer. Yeah.

01:15:53.090 - 01:16:10.530

Okay, great. That totally answered my question. Getting back to community involvement. Have you always found community involvement to be important? Yeah! I think right now, I'm trying to find—I find community involvement really

01:16:10.530 - 01:16:27.330

important in terms of, like, connecting with other photographers and photo editors and, like, trying to build a network to connect people with and, like, you know, get jobs, find assignments and things like that. In terms of, like, photographing the community, you know, I'm–I'm trying to

01:16:27.560 - 01:16:45.830

connect with the Houston community in terms of, like, finding people to photograph for this Asian queer project. So, it's definitely a work in progress, and hopefully, you know, it goes up [laughs]. Have you gotten involved with the Vietnamese or Vietnamese American communities in

01:16:45.830 - 01:17:00.020

Houston? Yeah! I've been trying to. It’ll—fr–fr–from—during my college years, like, four years away from Houston, and coming back now, it feels like I'm trying to, like, reconnect with the

01:17:01.650 - 01:17:14.710

Houston–Houston side of the world a bit more. So it's definitely been a work in progress. I've been trying to—I know on my Instagram page, I've followed, like, a bunch of, like, Vietnamese-based organizations.

01:17:15.600 - 01:17:31.280

And also, you know, eyeing communities that—or organizations I could better connect with. Like I'm slowly reaching out to some of, like, their events coordinators, and I try to go to their events to learn more about, you know, their organizations and what they do,

01:17:31.740 - 01:17:48.290

and how I can help out, you know, like, how I can, you know, help with their services or, like, with their events and volunteer. I think volunteering is something I've been really excited to do in terms of, like, helping the photo community, but also, like, the Vietnamese community as well.

01:17:49.270 - 01:18:03.190

Yeah. What are your insights on the Vietnamese or Vietnamese American communities in Houston? What do you see for the future of these communities in Houston and further, in

01:18:03.390 - 01:18:17.310

America even? Yeah, I think I see it growing, for sure. I think it's very crucial to the world and our

01:18:17.450 - 01:18:36.640

community today, as we learn to adapt. In some sense, I find it almost fading. Maybe it's just me, but at the same time, I find my Vietnamese identity almost fading because I'm taking in American ways,

01:18:37.870 - 01:18:53.450

more so than my Vietnamese way. So I find myself trying to rediscover that Vietnamese identity. And I was going to try to di–dive further into that by going back to Viet—or going to Vietnam for the first time because I've never visited Vietnam before and

01:18:53.450 - 01:19:12.980

try to reconnect with, like, my parents’ background. I think the Vietna—the Asian American community will always be there and continue to grow. It's just that I feel, like, my generation—maybe it's just me or maybe other people feel as well, is that we're losing that identity a little bit and

01:19:13.350 - 01:19:31.870

we're–we're clutching on to it As a queer Asian American, do you find the Houston community support–supportive? And what can Houston do to better show its support?

01:19:33.300 - 01:19:52.460

Yeah, I think, hmm…I'm not sure [laughs]–I'm not sure if they're...I'm pretty sure there are, like, queer Asian communities here in Houston, but I just haven't found it yet. But in terms of a sense

01:19:53.140 - 01:20:12.240

of my friends and, like, their queer experience, it's definitely more sheltered in some ways, it's very internal. So like, parents don't really understand the definition of “queer.” But I do feel in some sense that they're–they're

01:20:12.670 - 01:20:28.210

trying to, you know, understand it, that this is the way we live now. And…yeah, I think there is a strong sense of, like, an Asian queer community in Houston, I believe.

01:20:29.160 - 01:20:45.140

I just need to find it. And that tight sense of bonding. ‘Cause I know one person I photographed recently, she found a queer community within rock climbing, and there's a large Asian following as well. So, that's nice [laughs].

01:20:46.440 - 01:21:04.430

Yeah. In what ways do you think arts or even photography can help bridge the differences of the multicultural community of Houston? Yeah, I think arts is beneficial regardless of—developing

01:21:05.580 - 01:21:24.830

community, developing story, developing people's narratives, you know, it—I think when people say, “Pictures are worth, like, a thousand words,” you know, I think that's true, in terms of, like, expressing the artist’s feelings, but also, like, their backgrounds and their story of, like, who they are, and what

01:21:25.380 - 01:21:42.730

communities they’re trying to connect with. So I think arts will only exemplify, you know, community building, and, you know, connecting multi–generational, multicultural, and, you know, the diversity of, like, Houston, and, you know, the world.

01:21:45.860 - 01:22:00.140

Great! Before heading into our conclusion questions, this is just a general question that we've been asking. Since the COVID–19 pandemic, there has been an uptick in anti–Asian hate crimes.

01:22:00.490 - 01:22:16.940

And so, I just wanted to gather your thoughts and/or experiences on this. Yeah. I think—when I first heard about that, it was very scary, cause I was at Colby at the time and in college.

01:22:17.430 - 01:22:32.910

And when I heard about it, I got very scared for my parents, for sure. Because my–my mom runs a small business. And–and, you know, people might break into her store or

01:22:32.910 - 01:22:52.300

people might rob her, you know, so I got really scared, and also for my–my dad and my–my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, because they're also local business owners and, you know—so I was really scared for them when, you know, I think the hashtag was like, "#StopAsianHate." And it was, like,

01:22:52.330 - 01:23:05.960

very strong, and I got really scared for them. I remember calling them, like, almost, like, weekly, like, three times a week, just to make sure you know, everything was all right at home, and things like that. So I was very worried for them.

01:23:06.640 - 01:23:23.250

But I–I knew they were, like, almost safe within the Houston community because they live in, like, Alief, in—which is, like, predominantly Asian. So, they–they had each other's back, but, you know, I couldn't help but worry [laughs]. Of course, that's totally understandable.

01:23:24.430 - 01:23:43.510

Okay, so heading into our last questions of this interview, what local spots do you recommend in Houston? Local spots in Houston [laughs]. Let's see…Just like any local spot,

01:23:43.550 - 01:23:51.550

like restaurants? And—or— Oh, yeah, it can be, like, literally anything. Oh, anything? Oh my gosh. Um, gosh.

01:23:53.010 - 01:24:06.240

What's that place in Rice Village with the hot dogs, like, that won't be there anymore? Yoyo's Hotdogs! But actually, I think it's moving onto Rice's campus now. Oh, okay–okay that's good to hear.

01:24:06.570 - 01:24:16.190

Wait, so do we have to be a student in order to get in there [laughs]? [laughs] I'm not actually sure [laughs]. I think that was my concern, too. I'm not sure about that.

01:24:16.260 - 01:24:30.620

I hope it's open to the public. Yeah. Okay. If–if it's open to the public, then I recommend there [laughs], ‘cause I remember standing in line for those, and those are really good. But I guess, you know, Bellaire Chinatown is always nice, and I know Katy's getting an

01:24:30.620 - 01:24:45.390

Asian Town too, which is really nice as well. They're both really amazing places to try foods, drinks, and things like that. Yeah. Anywhere there is just good, I hope [laughs]. Okay, yeah, we're down to our last two questions.

01:24:47.520 - 01:25:03.620

What do you wish to accomplish in the upcoming years? What are your short-term goals and long-term goals? Hmm, well, long-term goals I already, like, kind of told you about, you know, getting a solo exhibit, getting a book published, working with, like, a high end magazine or

01:25:03.620 - 01:25:18.360

something. Short term goals? Gosh, it's only February and I'm–I'm–I'm, like, slowly breaking my New Year's resolution [laughs] of trying to, like, stay healthy and things like that, you know, health.

01:25:19.700 - 01:25:35.170

Also, you know, continuing to drive my creative passion, but also, you know, try not to burn myself out, like, you know, yeah. But yeah, those are—I think staying healthy is definitely, like, a big short term goal, like, mental health, but also physical health.

01:25:35.220 - 01:25:50.790

And yeah. And our last question: what do you want to be remembered for? This can be as an artist, as an individual, or, I mean—maybe they're both the same?

01:25:50.860 - 01:26:04.790

Yeah. Yeah. Okay, let's see, what do I want on my obituary or gravestone, basically [laughs]. Let's see. Well, I hope my family recog–recogni–recognizes—I mean,

01:26:05.690 - 01:26:21.400

remembers me [laughs] as, like, a very caring person. Like, a very family-orientated son. Hopefully, my friends remember me as a caring person [laughs]? Or as “that photographer guy,” I don't know.

01:26:21.990 - 01:26:41.860

And to the greater world, hopefully a photographer that, you know, took great passion to photographing people authentically, and, you know—yeah, photographing things that he enjoys and things that he finds passions in. A person that listens to the people who he photographs and, you know,

01:26:43.740 - 01:26:59.540

like, lets them be heard. Yeah...Yeah, I don't know what–what to put on my tombstone, though. Probably, like, the day I was born and died and stuff like that [laughs].

01:26:59.640 - 01:27:12.100

[laughs] Okay, awesome [laughs]. Do you have anything else you would like to add? Those are all the questions from me. And, again, thank you so much for providing such detailed and comprehensive

01:27:12.440 - 01:27:21.320

answers to those questions. I understand that those questions can be sort of difficult to answer on the spot, but you did it gracefully. [laughs] Yeah.

01:27:23.000 - 01:27:37.370

Anything else I would add? Well, that–that's, like, really close to the question I would ask, like, people I interview, like, “Is there anything else–is there anything else you want me to know that I didn't ask?” And it's always, like, eye–opening to hear what people say.

01:27:37.950 - 01:27:55.850

I don't know, I think you asked all the good questions tha–that, you know, are about me and my life. But yeah, hopefully—great. Great, thank you so much for participating in this interview with me.

01:27:56.710 - 01:27:58.110

Yeah, thank you so much, Gina [laughs].