Noble | Portraits of Asian Americans

Noble seeks to build a diverse, multigenerational archive of contemporary Asian America through portraits of its constituents. Each portrait acts as a visual acknowledgement of the vast and varied stories – the dreams, the fears, and everything in between – that constitute the Asian American community. Each subject was invited to select the clothing in which they are photographed, and to bring an object of significance to their Asian American identity to be photographed with as well.

According to the Pew Research Center, the United States Asian population grew 81% from 10.5 million to 18.9 million between 2000 and 2019, making it one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the U.S. The 2020 Census estimates 24 million Asian Americans residing in the United States. Despite this substantial – and still blooming – presence, Asian American representation in the media offers a great amount of opportunity for more Asians to fully participate as content creators and industry decision-makers.

Noble uses the genre of portraiture (a genre often used to affirm and record one’s place in history) as a tool with which to investigate this historical invisibilization and marginalization of Asian Americans. Noble serves as a platform for this community to be seen and heard on their own terms, taking a principled stand for truth, justice, and the oneness of humanity.

Noble invites all to remember the humanity of each and every person on the planet.

“ I regard this project as a process of helping us to see and understand,
cultivating our collective emotional capacity
to accept those who happen to look like me, and for whom
we’ve been taught to see in the United States as the ‘perpetual foreigner’.
These portraits are a way to celebrate and honor my photo subjects,
while also acknowledging their families and ancestors.
They remind us that Asian Americans are not two-dimensional; that we are
whole, dynamic, creative, innovative, adaptive, simple, complex, beautiful, human, and
noble.”

— Nancy Wong

Noble Portraits

Each photo subject was asked a series of questions, such as, “What does it mean to be Asian American?”, “What brings you joy?”, “What do you worry about?”, “What can’t you live without?”, etc. To read their responses and get a glimpse of who each of these souls are, click on the person’s photo below.

In addition, everyone was invited to bring an object that has special meaning to them when they think about being Asian American. Portraits of those who brought something are included in each profile. Some of them share a brief explanation of the object and/or its significance.