Traces of Homelands

This post was written by Hannah Cho and Jawhar Yasin, students participating virtually in the Library of Congress High School Summer Internship. This summer, under the mentorship of Jennifer Ezell and Katie McCarthy, the virtual participants worked in groups of two to add a teen perspective to the to the David M. Rubinstein Treasures Gallery: Collecting Memories exhibition. Hannah and Jawhar focused their work on the theme “Homeland.”

Homeland: A place where one is native to; A person’s origin land.

As simple as the textbook definition is, the personal concept of homeland is much more complex. We live far away from our homelands, causing our relationship with them to change; homeland becomes something that we are always reminded of— something that we chase and reach for constantly. It no longer just means place of origin to us; homeland means the very cultivator of our identities, cultures, traditions. Our homelands shape our pasts, our present, and our futures.

Weaving through several items in the Collecting Memories exhibition in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, we found two objects in the Homeland collection that we wanted to highlight and expand upon. Each item uniquely portrays struggles in diaspora culture and the relationship with homeland, but they also show how immigrant communities can bring their homelands with them.

What we carried: fragments from the cradle of civilization tells stories of Iraq War refugees through a photo book. Pages contain photographs of possessions that refugees decided to take with them before leaving their home forever. The featured coffee cups below show how the idea of homeland takes the form of objects, becoming items of comfort that symbolize the life left behind. The photo book is a powerful memorial of immigrant experiences. Entire lives and experiences in their origin lands boil down into a few objects stuffed in a suitcase when moving. We want you to think for a second: what items would you take if prompted to leave your home?

As we are generations away from our homelands, we experience our homelands through the eyes and ears of our parents: the objects, traditions, values, and stories they brought with them. An innate responsibility rises, moving us to uncover and connect with traces of home everywhere we go. From Hannah discovering Koreatown in Los Angeles during vacation and trying on traditional hanbok dresses, to Jawhar recognizing bits and pieces of other Turkic languages spoken on television, we navigate through this melting pot of a land, finding our cultures as we experience others.

Las calles rotas de mi ciudad is another item featured in the Collecting Memories exhibition. The methods of art featured in this artist book tell a story of a crumbling homeland, but also creates a sense of longing for that same community. As time goes by places transform; they may not ever feel the same as they did. The spirit of the original homeland is overwhelming in this artist’s book. The book embodies the familial values, culture, and the life that the artist reminisces and wishes to return to. All of these aspects are captured and encapsulated by this piece, from the glued pebbles to the loose sand— it all serves as a symbolic memory of home. Why do you think the artist utilizes different textures and patterns in the book? What message do you think it conveys?

As we discover what it means to live in a “home away from home,” we want to explore diaspora cultures across the world. You can see one of the images we found below. This photograph recorded two young Tibetan lamas learning to play gyaling horns in Sikkim, India. Intrigued by their lifestyle, we dove into research, finding an oral history interview at the American Folklife Center that gives us further insight into the Tibetan diaspora experience.

Lhalungpa Losang Phuntso, the interviewee, speaks Tibetan as he shares his experiences living in India. His oral history includes a written English transcription. He said that it’s important to spread information and the culture of Tibetans. We wonder if these young lamas are indirectly doing the same.

Drawing from Lhalungpa’s experiences, we believe that this image shares a story similar to that of the Collecting Memories exhibition. Memories of home, through the horn and music, are brought with the young lamas; these items uphold their heritages and strengthen cultural identities. With every note that is played on the gyaling, sweet sounds of their homeland may echo within their new home. As we explored Lhalungpa’s interview, we realized that the existence of a Tibetan diaspora in India is inspiring. With each step Lhalungpa took and possibly with each note that the gyaling sounded, Little Tibet grew a little closer to home in spirit.

Is there anything that you are proud to represent? Think about items around your home that you may share a similar story with.

Resiliency in the diaspora is a topic we’ve been focusing on. With that in mind, let’s return to the U.S. and take a look at a traditional Korean song and dance performance in D.C.

Cultural resilience is part of the memory of homeland. Like the Tibetan gyaling, music and dance can provide tangible connections to ancestral homelands. Take a minute to watch some of this traditional Korean song and dance performance.

How do you think this performance carries on tradition and culture?

Check out the timestamp of 25:00-27:30 minutes into the video. Korean drum sets line the walls, fostering a familiar yet powerful sense of homeland. As the sound of drums fills the room, smiles and pride swell up within the audience. Imagine what this performance means to Korean diaspora communities; these moments, charged with generations of traditions, are the key to unlocking a door of possibilities and walking into a world of representation and inclusion. Representation and being seen can spark newfound confidence in Korean identities; their cultural heritage is put forth, shining in the spotlight— standing proud on stage. The performance isn’t just for entertainment; it’s the beginning of discovering what it means to be home away from home.

Various traditional combinations of colors and fabrics in the video above parallel the artistic impressions in the mural pictured below. This mural is located at a playground near a famous Italian Market in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Notice the variety of ages and backgrounds included in the mural. This is not just a painting on a wall; it’s a standing memorial of the communities that bring us together as a whole. Diverse voices create the vibrant world we live in today, and this mural will continue to tell this message for generations to come. With every paint stroke, the motif of “what is brought from homelands?” is continued. How does this type of representation compare with those shared earlier in this blog?

We feel seen by the mural, and we can imagine that many others feel the same as well. The items that people carry from home shape their society and lives in a diaspora, but they themselves shape our society. As they bring rich cultures and perspectives, we learn from each other and continue to celebrate the diversity of this land.

Sometimes we have to find a home in new spaces, but there’s a beauty in that. There’s a beauty in being able to experience cultures and stories of other homelands and being able to draw from shared memories and similar experiences with others. Home is where you make it to be.

After exploring the vast resources of the Library of Congress and drawing parallels between collections and items, we’ve learned so much about our own homelands. We want this blog to become a stepping stone for other youth to find their home through the resources available at the Library of Congress.

Activities and Reflection:

• Paint a picture of something with cultural value to you: Anything that encapsulates the customs of your lifestyle is cultural. As you unravel your item through paints and sketches, think about why you feel connected with this object culturally. What does it mean to you and your family? Try to search your item on the LOC catalog! Did you find anything?
• Write about a place that makes you feel at home: Home is subjective; everyone experiences it differently. What makes your relationship with “feeling at home” different? What makes that feeling special?
• Find something that you carried from a previous home: Like Barwary’s coffee cups above, many have prized possessions that they take with them. Many have experienced moving into a new home or a new city. If you haven’t moved, think of a time when your life changed– this can be anything from transitioning school years or traveling somewhere new. What items did you think of keeping with you during a period of transition? Why was it important that this item moved with you?

Extension! Similar themes to explore:

• Explore the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project survey conducted by the American Folklife Center in 1977.
• Learn more about Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s Living Nations, Living Words.
• Follow the American Folklife Center Collections Eastern Africa guide to see other ethnographic resources for this region at the Library of Congress.