This piece, called “Scar,” is one panel of “The American Chinese Book,” an art series formatted as a physical book where each page emphasizes different aspects of my identity as a Chinese American transracial adoptee. In “Scar,” I focus on the concept of being a foreign born U.S. citizen. The scar, which many Asian adoptees have on their shoulder, refers to the raised, white mark left after the BCG (bacille calmette-guerin) inoculation for TB disease given at birth to babies born in countries outside the U.S. (mainly in Asia and places at risk of TB). This scar becomes a physical symbol of being foreign in the United States, despite feeling American. In my artwork, I incorporate tactile elements of jasmine rice and red thread stitching. The rice surrounding each page of the book represents my Asian roots, while the red thread stitching over the letters and the BCG scar also alludes to Chinese proverbs and myth. It further connects to Chinese American adoptee stories, particularly the children’s illustrated book, The Red Thread by Grace Lin.