The notion of silence for a Chinese female was made increasingly pronounced with my being at a literal loss for words, not speaking Spanish, during the course of my time in Cuba. I performed Maxine and I again, this time in Havana, by the monument dedicated to Cuban Chinese who contributed to the wars of Cuba’s independence. My heightened visibility as a tourist, a woman, and a non-White woman, made the experience of walking in the street unexpectedly foreign and at times, unwelcome.

The completed piece after sundown

Remnants of the piece two days later