peace of mind

Who/what do I want to honor?

I was inspired to create this monument after watching a video of an Asian-American healthcare worker, Dr. Chen Fu, 31, who is a hospitalist at NYU Langone Medical Centre. For Chen, working in the medical field throughout this pandemic leaves him with a bittersweet feeling, and he describes his experience by saying, “in the midst of all of this, it’s really, really, strange to me being both celebrated and villainized at the same time”. As a healthcare worker, Chen is praised for his work in fighting against the Covid-19 virus, but at the same he struggles with being denigrated by some for being Asian. Chen explains that, “people of my ilk are experiencing tensions that they haven’t experienced in modern history”, signifying the prevalence of difficulties regarding xenophobia that are currently arising in the United States for Asians and Asian-Americans. I designed this monument to honor Dr. Chen’s respect for the kindness that he is given by the people that care for him. What keeps him going is the kindness that he has experienced and mentions in the video about the people who thanked him or bought him food during these tough times. The primary goal of the monument, as a sticker/decal, is for shops or homes to show that they support racial unity and that they will band together to face the tough times ahead. The sticker also serves as a sign of peace and safety for those being racially targeted right now, allowing them to enter “safe spaces” whilst they perform their daily essential routines.

The Monument:

As a 3”x3” sticker, the monument should be highly accessible for shopkeepers or homes to purchase and place on their front doors or near entrances. The emblem is comprised of two separate symbols. One is a depiction of four linked arms as a symbol to represent both racial harmony and strength in unity. The other is a depiction of the Caduceus, or Staff of Hermes, which represents, most specifically, balance, peace, negotiation, and trade. Together, they represent racial unity, strength together, and peace of trade. The dual meaning of the Caduceus, as a misrepresentation of the Rod of Asclepius, is one of medicinal significance. The US Medical Corp began misappropriating the Caduceus for medical purposes in 1902 and since then it has been widely used for this purpose amongst commercial organizations in the US. For the purpose of my monument, it is used to represent strength and unity in fighting for a medical cause: against Covid-19.

Involve Local Communities:

To involve the local community, I would search for an Asian American graphic designer from the New York Area to design a more PG version of my prototype. I want the final product to look welcoming and general enough to be usable for all matters of business places and homes. I also want the graphic to look like it is culturally diverse and not promoting any specific race or ethnicity. It needs to feel like a safe thing for everyone.

I would run a campaign on multiple social media platforms to both explain and promote the sticker and potentially include a QR code where viewers can be directed to these channels for more information. As the community for “Peace of Mind” grows, perhaps social events that promote racial harmony or food deliveries/donations to medical workers can be organized and executed.

An aspect of creativity could also be promoted amongst this “Peace of Mind” community, and wholesome and meaningful collaborative projects could “spin-off” as a result of this.

Conclusion:

The end goal for “Peace of Mind” is to establish a community that believes in racial-harmony and strength in banding together. Acts of discrimination should be contested and all consumers, as well as shopkeepers, should feel safe when they are making their purchases or operating their business.