The Dai

By: Andre Luu

Donning a traditional conical hat, a mother journeys towards her village, canopied by vibrant greens and tightly hugged by lavender mountains. Along with her baby, she is a member of one of China’s 55 ethnic minority groups – the Dai people – an often forgotten population when Chinese identity is conceived of. And yet, with cloth woven from colorful fabrics, this Dai woman reminds us all that she is indeed Chinese, and her story is just as important as anyone else’s.