LA Iteration | A Tapestry of Fragmented Memories

rasgos asiáticos, a performance installation, explores the fluidity of borders and identities through inherited stories, fragmented memories, and recurring dreams. Large cargo boxes scattered across the plaza at Chung King Road contain sensory environments that invite viewers to contemplate ancestral histories and the legacies of migration.

Created by writer Virginia Grise in collaboration with scenic designer Tanya Orellana, and featuring sound design by Daniel Gower and lighting design by Scott Bolman, rasgos asiáticos offers space for political and personal excavation in conversation with the histories of LA’s Chinatown and the layered identities that create them. Marlene Beltran (Actor/Singer), Lydia Jialu Li 黎珈璐 (Actor/Traveler), Omi Osun Joni L. Jones (Artist/Scholar) and Feng-Feng Yeh (Founder of the Chinese Chorizo Project) serve as guides to this unique gathering.

Ancestor Stories and Community Care in Virginia Grise’s Rasgos Asiaticos
Essay by Alexandria Ramos; 15 January 2025