The Family Downstairs on Hyde Street

1980 – 1981

Once a week, as a photography student at the San Francisco Art Institute, I photographed the multigenerational family living downstairs from me, who had immigrated to America from China and owned the building where I rented the apartment upstairs. I was welcomed into their daily routines and extended family gatherings — dinners, celebrations, and outings for tea on the public bus. Despite not sharing a common language, the grandmother and I formed a close bond, and she became the central figure of the series.