“In the From Vietnam to Hollywood series, there is no single image or single viewpoint in these works, which in fact contain multiple perspectives with different characters—Vietnamese and American—in conflict.

When I was 7 or 8 years old, I spent time with my aunt who was a grass mat weaver. I watched her create these mats and occasionally assisted her. During my senior year of graduate studies I wanted to do work about the interweaving of cultures or identities.

Photography appealed to me because it was more immediate and felt more universal, more contemporary. At the same time, photography has its own limitations. I was interested in the American-Vietnam War and the writing and rewriting of its history. Through this interest I came to understand that photography captures moments but it never tells the complete story.”

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