Finalist
In my 5-year semi-immigrant life, my identity and mind-set have merged together, and I often wonder which world I belong to, Tokyo or New York. Assimilation is a psychological process that follows chains of longing to connect and disconnect with the worlds one inhabits. Tara Cronin is half-Korean, half-Irish, born and raised in the United States. Although she felt isolated when she was little because of her appearance, she now feels that she has no specific cultural background. Her story inspired this work and the question: what will happen–especially with cultures, lives, appearances, and identity–in the future? Thinking of what has happened in the past century, I imagine the world in 100 years will have progressed further through environmental, political, and economic means.