Do you ever pass someone in the street who is dressed with gay abandon and itch to tell them how fabulous they look? Andria Lo and Valerie Luu acted on that urge, and their experiences of chatting to colourfully dressed elderly people in six American Chinatowns are featured in a book of portraits and tales, Chinatown Pretty.
PHOTOGRAPH: ©2020 FROM ‘CHINATOWN PRETTY’ BY ANDRIA LO AND VALERIE LUU. *DASPYETAL, MINDFULNESS AND LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION, ‘PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS’, 2017; **EARTHWATCH, 2020; †INSTANT OFFICES, 2020
They explain: ‘What would start with us exclaiming ‘Pòh poh hóu leng!’ (pretty grandma) would lead to conversations about life journeys, immigration, joy and pain. These seniors taught us not only how to dress with joy, but how to live a meaningful life. As second-generation Asian Americans, we saw it as a way to connect with our past. Each conversation gave us a sliver of history, tinged with the fatigue and heartbreak that comes from having to start over. Many count their blessings and continue to be resilient.