Heal Our Communities, Chinatown, San Francisco, CA, 2022
Cynthia Fok
“This mural is in response to the recent attacks on Asian Americans through love and care. Butterflies symbolize the power of transformation….It reminds us that we embrace our shortcomings and show up anyways. We are all on different journeys of unlearning and healing.” CREATED BY: The Mandarin Institute, Jane Trieu, The Chinese Cultural Center (CCC), Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), Sterne School, and the STARTALK program of the Mandarin Institute San Francisco Unified School District.
The pandemic has brought to light the xenophobia of our society. Many of our people have been randomly assaulted solely because of their appearance and the ludicrous assumption that Asians, especially Chinese Americans, brought the virus to the US. This was also perpetuated by former President Trump’s discussion of the virus in racial terms – “The China Virus” or “The Wuhan Virus”
Despite the violence and discrimination our communities have faced in these past years, and not to mention throughout history, our communities have risen above adversity and shown resilience through collective healing, as beautifully depicted on the mural.