In the summer of 2021, best friends and co-facilitators Rachel Cheang and Em Jun Ng-Mittertreiner, with the support of hua foundation staff Kimberley Wong, brought to life a program called Loss in Translation: A Summer Workshop Series for Asian Youth. 

Knowing that they were not alone in feeling disconnected from their ancestral roots, grieving the loss of beloved community members, or struggling to hold space for the emotional and somatic responses that arose during this time, they set out to offer space to heal. Throughout the summer, 20 diasporic Asian youth came together bi-weekly to share complex collective and personal emotions of grief, gratitude, hope, and fury in light of ongoing challenges faced by local and global pan-Asian communities through a series of six art- and community-based workshops. 

Each month brought a different theme. In June, they focused on digging into their roots. They talked about loss and grief, remembered their ancestors, and welcomed guest artist Mita Mahato to lead them through a comic-making and grieving workshop.

In July, they gathered around the relationship between harvest and abundance—where abundance can only come through the action of planting new memories, harvesting them, and appreciating the present. They welcomed Christie Wong to share her art practice, which included craft making, drawing, and creative problem solving.

In August, they envisioned the future from a place of abundance and welcomed Rosemary Hu to share her poetry, movement, and dance. 

Words of wisdom imparted by guests Mita, Christie, and Rosemary were especially valuable in helping the cohort understand that “getting over” grief was not something they needed to aim for. Instead, it inspired them to think about the ways in which compassion for themselves and care from their communities might support them in sustainably engaging with grief whenever and however they felt called to do so. 

This space was one where diasporic Asian youth could explore art and collective nurturance as ways to grieve cultural losses and to translate how they felt into more tangible expressions. The trust, patience, willingness to show up and navigate conversations together allowed this program to thrive and pave the way for a continued vision, more resources, and greater opportunities for young people to lead the way.