Miu Eng Interview, October 16, 2021

Okay, good afternoon. We're at the DC public library today. It's October 16th, 2021, and we're thrilled to have you join us, could you tell us your name?

Miu Eng.

And today, could you tell us what's going on?

We're having a poster event. Back in 1981 I created a poster called "A People Emerging" for the Asian Pacific American Heritage week. So, and I guess I participated in a talk earlier this year. And so I show some of my artwork. We thought it might be a good idea to try to recreate this poster with Dear Chinatown.

That's fantastic. And so you're having an exhibit here along with the poster making.

Yeah. On the on the truck.

So one of the—obviously your posters have been an inspiration. How long have you been doing these posters?

Well, I did the 1981, '82 and '83. So I did it for three years and it's really more of a pro bono project. And I remember one of them, I think Frank and Chow had financed the project and so I came out the artwork, the slogan, had it printed, and then he will take some copies. I'll take some copies and whatever I can sell is my payment for my work. You know, after three or four years, I thought, I think I got too busy with life. I didn't do it afterwards. So, but but now 40 years later looking back It's like, hey, this is not bad. You know.

What were some of your slogans that you used?

The first one was A People Emerging and it that's the poster we're doing today. And it's based on the the word person in Chinese. So it's a calligraphy on that character and it's just a grouping of it and it has a lot of motion. So you do see, you get a sense of the people are like coming out. And back in 1981, I thought, yeah, you know, we now have more of a voice. So, and now 40 years later. I'm thinking it's still relevant. You know, that we speak up. And another slogan was "Strangers No More." And the whole artwork is all these profiles. Except for the last row is all, we're looking at you and the thought of like, I think when people look at Asian Americans, they don't really see them, you know, so as a profile, you're not really actually looking at a person. So when the last one, when it come and look straight at directly at you, it's like hey. Hey, you know I'm here. Another one was "Working Together" and it's basically a lot of hands full of combining graphics for the hand and some of the whole visual is they form kind of like a kimono and but its hands working together and the whole idea of like, we need to sort of come together and you know, and work together. And I think the last one was "Perseverance and Progress" so I don't have that one with me but it's almost like color balls and tiny little stars that make up the word perseverance. And then these stars kind of come down and create the word progress. So sort of like, you know, if you really persevere you make some progress. So but visually I thought the idea was good. But visually I wasn't in the end I wasn't that happy with the visual but I was working with two colors. So I have my limitations. Yeah, back in 198-83, that's before computers. So everything is like, cut and paste and I'm like clipping those, cutting those little stars and creating the words. So, It was, it was work.

Could you tell us a little bit about your background and your connection to Chinatown in DC?

My family immigrated to the US in 1967. We were able to able to do that because President Johnson signed a new bill so that Chinese Americans can now immigrate back to the US. My grandfather's been here for, like, 50 years at that time. So, we live in Chinatown 9th and New York Avenue. So, you know, we used to come, there used to be a library down the road for me, Carnegie Library. That was my home away from home, you know, like reading all the children sections from Curious George to Little House on the Prairie. And so growing up in Chinatown, going to school in DC and then eventually eventually ended up at GW where I studied graphic design, but now I'm I'm in Arlington. I fled the city.

And yeah, and what drew you to the arts?

You know, it's one of those things where, when you have nothing like musical instruments. You need to have money to buy the instrument, you know, sports, you need the sports equipment. But with arts, if you have a pen and paper, you can create whatever. So really it was more just having material easily accessible not having other distractions and really sort of, as a child being sort of, living more in my head than, you know, not many friends. So it's really kind of a lonely child's way of entertaining oneself. So.

There's a photo on the exhibit today of you in high school. Do you remember that, your experience in high school?

High School. It used to be called Western High School, it's now Duke Ellington. And it was like, like a 30 minute bus ride from Chinatown, you know, to upper Georgetown. I think personally, high school was was difficult for me, because again, its sort of that, you know, shy child and not really making many friends. I did, I did have some teachers there that were really inspiring. So, so that make a difference.

And what were some of those are sources of inspiration both from your teachers or other areas?

I think it's the more a matter of like encouragement, you know, and non judgement and I think that it's really important, you know, and just try and sometimes it's good. Sometimes not so good.

And so, how did they know to reach out to you to do the posters in the early 80s?

I have studied graphic design in school. I was involved with a community newsletter called Eastern Wind. So I volunteered to do some drawings and that sort of thing. I was terrible at drawing, very terrible. But I didn't know it at the time. So good job. So what you don't know doesn't hurt you kind of thing. Had I know how bad it was I would have stopped but but then I discovered graphic design. You don't have to know how to draw or you don't have to be good illustrator because it's really more taking an idea, and then trying to create a visual that's engaging and get the message across. And I think I found the posters did do that and I think, I can't remember the first time it was the Asian Pacific American Heritage week. It must have been like a late '70s, early '90s sort of time was still like a new thing. So we thought let's do a poster. I said oh I'll volunteer, I was game.

So I'm going to take you back to that moment. The, what, how did you find community then as an Asian American in DC, and how and where?

Well I guess the Calvary Baptist Church used to have like youth programs and there were things happening there. The Chinese Community Church also have activities for the young you know, for kids and, and The Eastern Wind newsletter was a summer project and I think was funded by the D.C. government. So there was various governmental or community groups that sort of had these activities. Where if you're interested, you can show up, you know, and volunteer or whatever.

And then you said that at the time, you had this feeling that the voice was emerging and that that was essential. What gave you that feeling at the time?

Well, I think having the recognition of all Asian Pacific American Heritage week. And the time, I think Asian American is still like a new term. So it felt like a step forward and I think not being a very verbal person, I felt communicating through, you know, print or art is sort of like my way of communicating.

And you said that you still think that's relevant today.

I think so.

Could you tell us why you think that?

I think, I mean, as a culture, you know, you are not really encouraged to like speaking your mind and speak up. You know, it's always like let's just go with the flow. And so I think it's very difficult to depart from that cultural upbringing and I think individually each person had their own experience, and some will kind of break out of that, that, you know, conformity. And I think, I think it's so much easier to conform. So, and, I think there are opportunities where people can sort of find their own voice. But you never know where these opportunities are going to come up, so it's really up to the individual to say, Oh, yeah, I'm in for this, you know, that sort of thing.

And today, where do you find community as an Asian American? What what spaces and groups?

Well, regretfully, I sort of moved out of that space as a young adult because you know, life happens. You don't have family kids, jobs. So I feel sort of myself removed from the Asian community and sort of to pursue my life. But now that it's almost like things that come up, you know, go full circle. And I'm finding that the kids are grown, I have a little bit more time. So I feel like I'm more willing to engage again and see what happens.

Okay. What role do you think Chinatown plays—places like Chinatown play—in the Asian American experience?

I don't really know personally because by now DC Chinatown is sort of shrinking and just feels a little bit removed from it, you know, other than the New Year's celebration. Or I know the 1882 is trying to, the organization is trying to have like weekly activities at the Chinese Community Church and I think I guess that just the church does bring a lot of people together.

And then, when you think of Chinatown today, what comes to mind?

That's a very good question. I just think of how much has changed, you know. I mean growing up, you know, that was like my neighborhood that and like going beyond Chinatown, like the Smithsonian is like, you know, just up the road. So there's a lot of venues where one can sort of explore the city and I found that within Chinatown itself, is, I don't really, think of anything right now that I'm like involved with. But I know as a kid there was a lot happening and a lot more people in the neighborhood. Growing up, a bunch of children, riding the bike, you know, just walking up the street, to the coffee shop. So, all of that is sort of not here anymore. It's now Starbucks, you know. But I think it's more like coming back to Chinatown, it just kind of brings back like some old memories, nostalgia.

Where would you like things to be in the future moving forward with respect to Chinatown?

I think, if people don't live in a community, it's very difficult to have that community. You know, if you're only like coming in for dim sum or a festival, then it is kind of—it's almost like like going to the museum, you know, you go once or twice a year and that's it. You don't really think about a day-to-day thing. So as long as people are not living in the community, that's part of the issue.

It reminds me of your poster of preservation and progress. In retrospect, how, what do you think of those two terms working together, preservation and progress, as it relates to—

There goes the posters! Oh, my goodness. Whoa. Oh, no, they spilled some ink. Wow. That was a gust.

Wind tunnel. Well, let's see where we're at. Do you want to continue or do you want to see if things need to be rescued?

Hey, they've got it under control.

Okay, last question. Progress and preservation, and I guess in that sense may be thinking about spaces of the Asian American community and not necessarily just about Chinatown. But, but how do we maintain that connection between progress and preservation?

Well, I think the perseverance itself is sort of like just, you know. Like don't stop, that's the whole idea. It just like, no matter how small the progress, you are just making small steps and eventually there will be progress. And I think there was, you know, progress in Asian community because there are more elected officials. People are more involved, the new generation. They are more politically aware. So yeah, I mean, progress is there. Sometimes you just have to like look for it.

What about the preservation side?

Perseverance itself—

Oh, did I get it wrong? I thought you said preservation. Oh, perseverance.

No, it's a verb! Perseverance is so, I mean, I think when we live day to day, I mean, we have to persevere, you know, no matter who we are. Sometimes it's easier to be like of that's too hard. It's like I know when I have a big project and it's just overwhelming. It's like I came and got started and it's that you just work around it. That's how I do at least I work around the edges. I do the easy bits first. So once the easy bits are done, I'm more motivated. I see, some, some kind of activity, or progress, It's almost like feeds on itself. So the more the more you do, no matter how little it was, it gives you encouragement to do more.

Well, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it, and it's been wonderful to be able to share your art.

Thank you. It's my pleasure.