Taeri Kim ‘26

In what ways has my experience as a first-generation Korean immigrant left my identity conflicted between two countries – fully immersed in both, yet belonging to neither?

I’ve always struggled to answer the seemingly simple question, “Where are you from?” As a first-generation Korean immigrant, my identity constantly breaks down and regenerates by the tension between two cultures. My work explores how this layered existence shapes my connection to self, others, and the places I move through. Each piece illustrates specific narratives of my life, serving as both a personal archive and a cultural reflection. Within these stories, I seek recognition of the in-betweenness. It is in the state of ambiguity that I find authenticity: a third space that is uniquely my own.