Win or Lose

Win or Lose is a biographical documentary project depicting the story of a 25 year-old Chinese barber named Win Tang who immigrated to New York City by himself at the age of 15. During that period, a number of Chinese persons held the belief that immigrating to the United States might result in substantial income, enabling them to surpass social barriers and attain economic independence. Upon his arrival in America, Win realized that he lacked any familial or social connections in this foreign land. As a result of experiencing a sense of being alone and without assistance in the United States, he sought solace, comfort, and acceptance in Christianity and secure a green card through religious immigration for someone seeking political asylum. However, his limited grasp of English, coupled with his routine existence that stretches from his Flushing home to the barbershop, an hour subway-ride away, renders Manhattan, just across the river, a distant and enigmatic world—a place close in proximity yet emotionally distant. Win is currently in a sort of purgatory, waiting for his trial date for an accidental involvement in money laundering, tricked and trapped by an old friend. While he awaits trial, he is required to wear electronic ankle bracelet, which limits him to twelve hours of freedom everyday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The project is comprised of photographs of his limited activities in various locations: the church he belongs to, the Flushing Chinatown district, his back-and-forth bus and metro commutes, and the barbershop where he works, as these sites represent 99% of Win's everyday existence when he goes out. Overall, I am not attempting to critique American culture for its discriminatory and unjust treatment of Asians. I aim to create an impartial yet empathetic documentary of Win’s trials and tribulations in the United States. The camera’s eye is never voyeuristic, but affording Win’s dignity, dimensionality, and a profound sense of agency even within the limits of his situation.