Asian American Research Journal

The cover of volume IV, The Space Between Oceans, was illustrated by our chief designer SeoLee. The woman is outlined with minimal lines, accentuating the negative space, to give thefigure an inclusive silhouette that any reader can project themselves onto. In order to emphasizethe theme of this year’s topic of fluctuating heritage and the fluidity of cross-cultural identity, thecover features motifs of waves. The tea poured by the woman from the traditional pot serves asthe medium through which the white stripes of the American flag bleed into the Japanese-stylewave art to capture the exchange of tradition and communities overseas. The American flagmotif continues on the back cover with the blue moon speckled with white stars. The red, white,and blue color palette encompasses both the famously “American” colors and the lucky shade ofred that many Asian cultures recognize. The woman, or anyone part of the Asian Americandiaspora, is claiming agency over the flow of her cultural heritage as she contributes her story tothe ocean of cross-cultural experiences.