A Chinese photographer captures his family’s immigration journey to America
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Loading... - Himari Saito
- 09 Jun 2023
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When the time came to depart from Beijing, Li Qiang generously gave away a multitude of books and attended numerous farewell dinners, already feeling a sense of longing for the city that had always been home to him and his wife.
They meticulously packed their belongings into seven suitcases and embarked on a lengthy 22-hour flight from Beijing to the vibrant metropolis of New York City. Upon their late arrival on the night of May 5, 2022, the illuminated Manhattan skyline acted as a guiding beacon leading them to their hotel.
Over the course of the following 45 days, the family, comprising Li Qiang, his wife Siqi Yang, and their two children, Ben (9) and Sweet Pea (1), found themselves living amidst their luggage. Initially residing in a Manhattan hotel and subsequently relocating to Brooklyn, they navigated through this new chapter of their lives.
"This marked the first instance in which our family established a permanent residence in a foreign land," Qiang, 38, conveyed through the interpretation of his wife Siqi Yang, 39, during this interview.
Their days were filled with a flurry of activities as they explored the city's streets, tirelessly searched for suitable apartments, established communication with their son's new school—a Chinese-English bilingual public institution—purchased furniture and kitchenware, and marveled at the presence of pigeons and street performers.
Qiang's son, Ben, wholeheartedly embraced his new surroundings, eagerly immersing himself in the bustling subway system, an experience that was a rarity in their home country of China. Captured in one image is Ben fearlessly scaling and swinging from the subway bars, while a fellow passenger remains engrossed in their phone screen.
"I felt compelled to chronicle our life in America," expressed Qiang. "Rarely have I documented my family as a cohesive unit or observed them with such keenness. They were like water and air to me in the past—essential yet sometimes taken for granted."
