OVERVIEW
Celebrating Chinese diasporas growing fresh heritage produce in the United States.
YEAR
DURATION
ADVISORS
TOOLS USED
2023
4 months
Amanda Huynh, Alex Schweder, & Lily Tagiuri
Adobe InDesign • Adobe Lightroom • Sewing Machine
THE CHINESE DIASPORA
Over 30 years ago my grandparents moved their whole lives from China to put down new roots in the United States. With them they brought a rich knowledge of food and plants that I would later grow up to realize were foreign to those around me. My grandparents and I are part of the Chinese Diaspora; ethnically Chinese but living life somewhere else.
CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG: ASIAN CANADIAN REPORTER AT THE TYEE INTERESTED IN THE LIVES OF DIASPORIC COMMUNITIES IN VANCOUVER
BACKYARD HERITAGE GARDENS
Growing up I remember my grandparents’ lush garden full of vegetables and fruits that could not be found at local grocery stores. These plant varieties were passed down between generations, a tradition common among ethnic minorities. An interview with journalist Christopher Cheung highlighted the knowledge and beauty that exists around heritage gardens which deserves to be supported and celebrated.
HERITAGE BOK CHOY AND WINTERMELON
USING ONE-TIME-USE DISPOSABLE CONTAINERS TO DISTRIBUTE FRESH PRODUCE
SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT
Researching the Chinese Diasporic community in NYC, I came across many organizations who provide culturally specific produce to members of the community. I noticed that these programs used a lot of disposable containers to distribute and transport their fresh produce and took this as an opportunity for thoughtful design.
MANY LOCAL CSA PROGRAMS SUPPORTING BOTH LOCAL FARMS AND DIASPORIC COMMUNITIES IN NYC
To design a meaningful, reusable carrying vessel for fresh produce that is as affordable and strong as the one-time-use containers currently used by CSA programs.
DESIGN OPPORTUNITY
AUNTIE AIHUA STANDING PROUDLY OVER HER FRESHLY HARVESTED WINTERMELON
GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY
Aside from designing the vessel itself, an important goal for this project was to highlight and really celebrate members of the Chinese Diasporic community. To do this, I interviewed several aunties and uncles and, with their permission, photographed them in their beautiful gardens.
UNCLE PETER SHOWCASING HIS 20 YEAR OLD FLOURISHING TANGERINE TREE
REPURPOSED SALAD BOXES, OJ BOTTLES, MILK CRATES, AND T-SHIRTS INTO PLANTERS, HAMMOCKS, AND PEST PROTECTION.
LEARNING FROM AUNTIES AND UNCLES
Looking at the gardens of aunties and uncles, I was surprised by the resourcefulness and creativity in the way they repurpose waste items into functional gardening contraptions.
THE SPIRIT OF RESOURCEFULNESS
Inspired by the ingenuity of the aunties and uncles, I took advantage of an existing waste stream near me and began collecting empty rice bags from restaurants in the area. I challenged myself to use this as a design material and thus came the idea for a rice bag tote.
RICE BAG TOTE DESIGN INSPIRED BY RESOURCEFULNESS AND REPURPOSING OF WASTE BY AUNTIES AND UNCLES.
RICE BAGS COLLECTED FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS WERE CUT UP AND SEW INTO TOTES
A VEHICLE FOR CONNECTION
Drawing from the community’s spirit of resourcefulnes and the beauty of their gardens and their stories, this tote bag was created as a vehicle for storytelling, connection, and understanding. Each tote bag is repurposed from a single rice bag and features a story from a member of the community as well as a seed packet introducing a heritage plant variety.
A SEED PACKET IS INCLUDED IN EACH BAG THAT GIVES PEOPLE THE CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT AND EXPERIENCE GROWING HERITAGE PRODUCE.
PARTNERED WITH LOCAL ROOTS CSA PICKUP AND MODERN CHINESE CAFÉ FOR TOTE BAG GIVE AWAY
MET WITH OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE INTERACTIONS WITH CSA MEMBERS
LOCAL CSA BAG GIVE-AWAY
As the culmination and arguably most impactful part of this project I partnered with a local CSA program to give away several tote bags to members. Alongside this I created a social media platform where people could learn more about the aunties and uncles and connect with eacother.
CONTINUING AUNTIE’S GARDEN
I envision creating a network between the Chinese Diasporic community and people who support them including donating restaurants, CSA programs, and local farms or community members. These bags could be a method of raising funds to give back and support the Chinese Diaspora here in the United States.