Xyza Cruz Bacani Publishes First Book, "We Are Like Air"
November 30, 2018
On November 30, 2018, Asia 21 Young Leader Xyza Cruz Bacani ('18) published her first book, We Are Like Air, with a flagship exhibition in Hong Kong.
This stunning photo essay documents the journey of Georgia Bacani—the author's mother—as a Filipino migrant worker in Hong Kong, and more broadly, explores the under-reported tragedy of migrant workers.
As a former domestic worker herself, Bacani recounts the pain and anger of separating from her mother at such a young age, and their eventual reconciliation after more than a decade apart. She would soon find photography as a way to challenge popular discourses about identity, representation and power, and amass a large following of fellow migrant workers, social activists, and community organizations. Bacani is a Magnum Human Rights Fellow, a Pulitzer Center grantee, and the recipient of Resolution HR No. 1969 passed by the Philippines House of Representatives.
For a recent coverage of Bacani's life and her book, please see this piece published by the New York Times Lens column on December 27, 2018.