Luo Yang's 'Diaspora Birds' Explores Asian Migration in Europe

Chinese photographer Luo Yang (born 1984, Liaoning) has launched 'Diaspora Birds', a project documenting Asian diaspora communities across European capitals. Known for her series 'GIRLS' (2008–2017) and praised by Ai Weiwei in 2012 as a rising star, Yang now turns her lens on Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino migrants in cities including Paris, Berlin, London, and Milan. The project, inspired by her own post-pandemic move to Europe two years ago, captures intimate portraits and personal stories of first- to third-generation immigrants grappling with cultural duality, racism, and identity. Yang emphasizes a respectful, non-exploitative approach, photographing subjects in familiar settings like Paris's Chinatown or Berlin's Dong Xuan Center. Notable stories include Justine, a third-generation Vietnamese immigrant in Paris struggling with Western beauty standards, and Thérèse, a second-generation Chinese-Laotian immigrant with eccentric style. The work also includes interviews and will later feature older generations. Yang hopes to foster cross-cultural understanding and provide comfort to those in diaspora. The project is ongoing, with unpublished material to be shared in the future.