mirror

Link to the interactive webcam

Look into the Mirror!

As first-generation students, immigrants, or children of immigrants, we often focus on adapting to the new world around us, to blend in, to mold ourselves to fit the expectations of a new world. Assimilation becomes second nature as we learn the languages and the norms. But in that process, how often do we look inward?

This webcam is a response to this tension between adaptation and self-connection, between technology and tradition, between who we are and who we are told to be. It translates the viewer’s image into the old Vietnamese phrase 以心交心, which means “heart to heart.” In old Vietnamese, the word for heart also means soul. This translation is both literal and symbolic: just as we learn languages to understand others, we must also look inward to rediscover who we are beyond external expectations. True connection, whether with others or with our heritage, always starts from within.

Technology is often seen as something that distances us from our identities, but here, it becomes a tool for self-reflection. This work challenges the idea of Asian techno-orientalism by using technology not to erase, but to reclaim identity. In a world that constantly pushes people to fit in, this is a reminder to pause, to look at yourself—not just on the surface, but deeply.

Before we can fully connect with others, we must first connect with ourselves. The mirror is both a reminder and a challenge: to open yourself, to embrace your own story, and to meet yourself—heart to heart.