Meet Rose Chang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Chang.

Rose, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Taiwan and my family and I immigrated to Los Angeles, CA in 1999. I grew up all over the greater Los Angeles area, having moved around a lot as a kid due to financial hardships. I spent a lot of my childhood helping my parents’ business because my parents did not speak English. Growing up Asian-American, I felt very stuck “in-between,” almost in a constant state of floating. There was always an inner battle of my western and eastern ideologies. I quickly found solace in expressing myself through art; I was always very creative and constantly attracted to making and creating art. I fell in love with the ability of art to provide self-expression, meditation, and reflection as well as entertainment. I wanted to combine all my interests and passions into one and that eventually evolved into filmmaking. My professional and personal journey as an artist and filmmaker began before I even knew it was something I could pursue professionally, through sketching, painting, and photography. Due to cultural traditions, expressing myself has always been difficult. Having grown up in an Asian family and household, emotions are often viewed as weaknesses and artistic professions as unpractical. Despite knowing the difficulties in pursuing a profession in film, I continue to fight for my passion and aspirations.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to understand my identity growing up as a Taiwanese-American immigrant in America. I turned to writing and filmmaking as a creative outlet for the emotions I felt, trying to express my sense of not belonging in a hyphenated identity. It wasn’t until I started college that I began to focus in on my craft and voice in filmmaking. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production and Critical Studies in June 2016 from UC, Santa Cruz. During my undergraduate career, I focused my film thesis project on the representation of Asian American women in the media. Working closely with my mentor, Dr. L.S. Kim, I wrote a critical thesis paper on the representation for Asian American women and the importance of progressive representation and voices in the media. In addition to my paper, I produced, wrote, and directed a thesis short film, HARD-BOILED MASK AND THE ART OF BLOSSOMING. The film explores the portrait of an Asian American girl who struggles with her Asian and American identity as she floats through a world of conformity and assimilation. My short was then selected and screened at Vessel Gallery in downtown Oakland, CA in “Excuse Me, Can I See Your ID?”, an art and digital media exhibit featuring established and emerging Asian American artists and filmmakers who explore ideas of identity, belonging, and what it means to be Asian American.

After graduating from college, I officially became a citizen of the United States despite growing up all my life in Southern California as a Taiwanese-American immigrant. In the citizenship process, it was immediately apparent to me that I come from a place of educational privilege, that so many immigrants, like my parents, hope for this moment and never reach it. My citizenship ceremony is one of the most emotional and humbling experiences I will ever have the honor to share with so many different people seeking acceptance from this country. It was transformative and inspiring as I began thinking of how much it took for me, an Asian girl from a small fishing town in Taiwan, to become a citizen of the United States. I realize the intensity of my parents’ sacrifices; they always gave me everything they could despite financial and racial adversities. They showed me the resilience to become the woman I am today and granted me the opportunity to study as a graduate student of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. I will never forget the strength and stories of the hands, backs, and hearts of my immigrant parents that allow me to pursue what I love doing the most; the artistic freedom to share and tell my stories.

Just before the pandemic started, I had just graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts MFA film program. I had finished my thesis film, SHADES OF JADE, about a young Asian girl who must help her mother’s fake green card marriage by bonding with a father figure who eventually must leave her. The project is important and deeply personal in that it is based off my life and tells my story of how I am here, writing this letter. Recently, the film has been accepted into the 43rd Asian American International Film Festival which will be screening online from October 1st-11th.

The pandemic has greatly affected my family and my parents’ business. Unfortunately, my parent’s business was unable to stay operating and I have been working to help my parents financially as they prepare to transition their life back to Taiwan. I know that the pandemic has affected everyone in some way, shape, or form and hope that more people are willing and open to talk about their financial hardships and situations. I have since started my own business, although it’s very small, it’s still something I love doing. I have started a business selling painting commissions. I paint mainly botanicals and also create stationary. The business has definitely helped me throughout this pandemic and has allowed me to house and feed myself. Despite struggling financially during this pandemic still, I am extremely grateful to have food and shelter, and immensely thankful for my health and the health and safety of my loved ones. I am always humbled by the support system and community that I have and feel so greatly fortunate. With everything occurring in the world, sometimes I do feel discouraged and defeated, but I also remember that there is power in not giving up and living your life to the fullest and in the most honest way you can to yourself. I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and patient!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There were definitely a lot of challenges along the way of my journey. Sometimes it almost feels like whenever you take a step forward, you get knocked back a few steps, especially in 2020. Growing up as a woman of color, as an immigrant, life is challenging. There are many lessons to be learned from those challenges though. All my life growing up, my family struggled financially and we grew up pretty poor. My parents didn’t speak English and gave up their entire lives and home to come to America. We lost our first home when I was really young and it was definitely hard as my mother became severely depressed and my father became an alcoholic. As a child, I matured really fast because I had to.

As I entered academic spaces and higher education, the challenges became more and more aggressive and jarring. In academic spaces, it is challenging for students who cannot afford higher education. I was worried I could never afford college (I still can’t) and having to put yourself into extreme debt to better yourself is ridiculous and designed to prevent lower-class and BIPOC from these spaces and to keep these academic spaces White and elitist. I experienced a lot of racism throughout my higher education and felt so failed by the system that I was putting myself in debt for. There were a number of professors who were outright racist to my face and even when I stood up for myself, it was always brushed over. I only hope we can start to address those issues and implement changes for the future.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
So, I am a filmmaker and an artist, which is that constant gig and self-employed life. I started my online art business a few months into the pandemic as a small way to financially help myself and my parents. I am very proud I was able to do it and earn some extra cash. I own, run, and make everything. I specialize in botanical art, mainly acrylic painting as well as ink drawings. I make each piece commissioned, and believe in every piece being different and unique. Not one piece is ever reproduced!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have a huge support system from my friends and family that definitely deserves credit. I would not be the person I am today with the freedom and power to do what I want and love if not for the constant love, support, and protection of my community.

My older brother has always been my rock, growing up together in our tumultuous household, we were always very close. Not only does he support me emotionally in all my artistic endeavors, he sometimes also supports me financially. I am insanely grateful to have such a caring and giving older brother.

I had a mentor during my undergraduate studies, Dr. L.S. Kim, that really played a huge role in my filmmaking journey. I took a course on Asian Americans in the media as a young sophomore and it changed my perspective on how I perceived myself and Asian Americans in film and television. Through her mentorship, I learned so much of what kind of filmmaker I wanted to be and am so grateful to have had that opportunity to learn from her.

I had another mentor during my graduate studies, Jennifer Warren that mentored me through my last year in my graduate program as I was dealing with a lot of personal issues while working on my thesis film. Jennifer was so supportive and taught me the freedom of an artist’s choice.

And lastly, all my close friends and women in my life. They have always been constantly supporting me, cheering me on, and inspiring me. They are always so giving, whether it be their time or energy. When all my friends heard about what had happened to my family’s business due to the pandemic, they donated money, purchased my art, and offered their emotional support.

Without these people, I would not be the person I am today, and so I am so very grateful.

Contact Info:

• Address: 206 N. Edgemont St. Apt A Los Angeles, CA 90004
• Phone: 9097738953
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @rosechanggg and @rosechangco
• Twitter: @rosechanggg
• Other: vimeo.com/rosechang

Image Credit:
Martha Rivera-Mijes, Brandon Clayton Ng, Marshall Danese, Rose Chang

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