To wave a traveling flag; ondear una bandera viajera
When I think about what defines a sense of identity and place, my mind immediately goes to food and migration. Even though my family did their best to blend in culturally, assimilate, and Americanize, when they moved to the US, from Cuba and Southern Europe, they also held fast to certain food traditions. Preparing these particular recipes which usually involve preparing rice, is one of the ways I maintain a connection with my family and my ancestry no matter where I happen to live. This flag bearing the image of yellow rice, hand dyed using saffron and turmeric, acknowledges my personal practice of memory and the performance of identity I create for myself through cooking. The flag form is an intentional nod to the perpetual mobility of my cultural landscape, a family of nomadic sign holders.