The Invisible Minority
Research Document
Photography
Installation
CalArts BFA-4 assignment
Class: Graphic Design IV
Instructor: Gail Swanlund
TA: Kate Johnston
The Invisible Minority is an exploration of Filipino-Americans in Los Angeles. For various reasons, such as fluency in English and being predominantly Christian, Filipinos have found it easy to immerse themselves in different areas of Los Angeles county without the need to set up a base in a specific area to create a standard “Filipino-town.” Instead, they have created small-scale cultural hubs, or “Little Manilas.”
Food being a big expression of culture and home, these hubs contain popular fast-food chains that are more commonly found in the Philippines. In Los Angeles, these restaurants are usually anchored by a popular Filipino Supermarket chain named Seafood City.
Utilizing field research, personal interviews, and online resources, the combination of infographics and photography explores the role of Seafood City as a purveyor of home and culture in these Little Manilas across Los Angeles for the Filipinos and the numerous other ethnicities that live there.
The Invisible Minority is a study of visual vernacular that Seafood City and its surrounding restaurants use to speak to both insiders and outsiders of their communities.
This project was featured on KCET.org! Check out the article here.
Food being a big expression of culture and home, these hubs contain popular fast-food chains that are more commonly found in the Philippines. In Los Angeles, these restaurants are usually anchored by a popular Filipino Supermarket chain named Seafood City.
Utilizing field research, personal interviews, and online resources, the combination of infographics and photography explores the role of Seafood City as a purveyor of home and culture in these Little Manilas across Los Angeles for the Filipinos and the numerous other ethnicities that live there.
The Invisible Minority is a study of visual vernacular that Seafood City and its surrounding restaurants use to speak to both insiders and outsiders of their communities.
This project was featured on KCET.org! Check out the article here.
