An Online Multi-Media Exhibit: Where Are You At?

In many ways, the student interns from UCLA’s Asian American Studies 140 XP class, “Power to the People: Asian American and Pacific Islander Community-Based Learning” were largely deprived of the opportunity to work in a community-based setting. The reasons are painfully obvious. Since the end of Winter Quarter 2020, the entire country was under some form of lockdown due to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, and learning shifted to an exclusively online platform. When factoring in a profound national reckoning with race, a bungled government response to the pandemic, a surge of violence perpetrated against persons of AAPI descent, and a chaotic and controversial presidential election, it has been understandable that “remote learning” has obliged UCLA students to become more inventive and resourceful, and to adapt to the troubling realities that their educational experience has become.

The UCLA undergrads from the Spring 2021 Quarter edition of AAS 140 XP who interned at Visual Communications have endured over a year of remote learning as well as an extended period of social isolation and limited interactions with the outside world. Complicating matters is the fact that they have relocated home and are currently located in different parts of the world, from as far away as Qingdao, China to Orange County, California. And the yet the four — Leah Janelle “LJ” Isorena, Keana Mataalii, Yang Xi, and Janice Yun — have harnessed the power of the creative arts; from video diaries, documentary profiles, still photography, and the written word, to tell us how they are coping with the multiple effects of the pandemic in their neck of the woods. Their virtual gallery space is displayed below. — Abraham Ferrer, Archives & Distribution Manager

LJ ISORENA

“I started this work because I never really thought of myself as creative, so I did what I did best: talk to myself. My work is a series of short video diaries that highlight my experiences as a student during COVID-19. The videos are taken on Photobooth from my laptop’s webcam because I don’t have much space on my phone and the life of a student during this pandemic is over a webcam. I touch upon topics of social isolation and the transition into “normalcy” and what that normalcy is.”

LJ Isorena (they/them) is a third year Asian American Studies major, Education and Pilipino Studies double minor at UCLA. They tutor on the weekends and sleep, sing, and giggle in their free time.

LJ - April 30, 2021

LJ begins to worry about not having their own space as a result of living at home. The lack of a private space contributes to a feeling of claustrophobia.

LJ - May 7, 2021

LJ goes shopping for Mother's Day, which is a chore since they don’t go out often due to the pandemic. They miss the simple pleasures such as being out in the sunshine.

LJ - May 14, 2021

LJ receives their first COVID-19 vaccination, and gets the green-light to make plans to return to Los Angeles to resume school. Yet, there are hesitations about going back to "normal."

LJ - May 21, 2021

LJ learns that a favorite restaurant is no longer open, and has gone out of business. When the pandemic is declared "over," things will not quite be the same as before.

LJ - May 28, 2021

Changing their look is one way that LJ endeavors to take back control of their life. The end of the pandemic is an occasion to take stock of their situation, and how to take control, moving forward.

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KEANA MATAALII

“I decided to highlight my Aunt Leilani, a mother of seven and the owner of Betty Plumi. The pandemic has altered life in a variety of ways during the last year. However, the pandemic has motivated my aunt to monetize her crocheting abilities in order to build a reliable source of income. Leilani's road to launching her company has been fraught with obstacles, yet she and her family have become stronger as a result. Leilani is one of the few businesses in the fiber industry whose aim is to elevate the voices of Pacific Islanders. Her mission is to express love and positivity via her dolls and to increase her community's representation.”

Keana Mataalii was born in Whittier, CA and raised in Montebello. They are part Samoan, Mexican, and White. They are the first child in their family to graduate from UCLA, a prestigious four-year university (also during a pandemic). They started their undergraduate career at Rio Hondo Community College, where they studied philosophy. As they began their journey at UCLA, they wanted to learn more about their Samoan culture, so they switched their major to Asian American Studies. After graduation, Keana plans to take a break from school and try dipping into the real estate market.

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YANG XI

“I have been practicing street photography for almost four years. I shot this project in Qingdao, China in order to spread awareness about necessary precaution measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to help audiences to understand the value of pandemic restrictions.”

Yang Xi is a street photographer who is currently a junior at UCLA in Asian American Studies. Previously, Yang was a reporter for the Research Center of Hangzhou Municipality; he joined the center in early 2018. He looks forward to holding his own photography exhibition before graduation.

Under the influence of the pandemic, not everyone sees the beauty of everything. The young man in the back is trying to capture the present moment of this city, but this older woman in the front looks like she is trying to recall all the memories about this city in the past.

People are more eager to go outdoors than ever before. Sometimes I wish to relive my childhood days by cycling all day long.

Street photography is just like fishing. The fishing experience is far better than the taste of the fish.

There is a traditional drum band on the left of this shot, and for this woman in the wheelchair, their music is a way to relieve stress.

This picture shows three levels of wearing masks, based on their lifestyles.

Eye contact is the most effective way to communicate during the pandemic, and the comparison between this man’s jacket and this lady’s eyes kind of proves it.

In the order of age and size, this family shows their attitudes toward pandemic.

To heavy smokers, smoking is always the first priority no matter what. I hope they are appreciative of COVID-19 restrictions.

Don’t be two-faced, neither mental nor physical.

I like the idea and composition that this image shows during a family’s daily gathering.

A child's smiling face is worth more than everything in the world.

I try to record the feeling of adolescence and the love between this baby and his mother.

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JANICE YUN

“My work as an intern for Visual Communications this past quarter consists of writing two press releases – one for their upcoming online revisitation of the iconic Cubes Exhibit, and another about VC Classics films being available to stream online. The goal of these releases is to announce to the public that VC has valuable online resources that are open to the public. After a difficult year filled with extreme political tension and heightened accounts of hate against various minority groups, writing these releases reminded me that we are all still capable of actively contributing to the betterment of the world — no matter where we might be.”

**Press releases will be published at a later time. Please check back for the links!

Janice Yun is a second-year Communications and Asian American Studies student at UCLA. She is currently writing from her hometown of Cypress, CA.

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Thank you for supporting the visions and voices of our UCLA student interns. Click below for additional online exhibits and stories by UCLA AAS 140 SL/XP student interns and others:

An Online Exhibit: WHAT DO WE SEE?
March 10, 2019

TAKE-AWAYS FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY STORYTELLERS OF DIGITAL HISTORIES
April 29, 2019