In Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences, Bowker and Star recount various stories, including one about apartheid in South Africa. The case of David Wong particularly stood out to me. Wong, born in China to Chinese parents, lived in a white neighborhood in Durban (a city with a large ethnically Asian population). His neighbors, leveraging the “general acceptance” clause of the Population Registration Act, filed affidavits declaring him “White”—a move that may have been partly an anti-apartheid gesture. As a result of these affidavits, Wong was issued a white registration card.
This case speaks to the performativity of infrastructure and law, as well as the agency and resistance of individuals navigating classification systems that are often ill-suited to support their well-being or even their survival.
As a Chinese person living and working in the U.S., my legitimacy here is similarly constructed through nearly three thousand pages of petitions, evidence, letters of recommendation, and memoranda of understanding. In 2018, I filed for my first O-1 Artist Visa, including thirteen letters of recommendation. Later, I submitted an additional six letters in response to a Request for Evidence (RFE). In 2021 and 2022, I filed for NIW and EB-1A visas using the same collection of letters. Together, these “affidavits” support the case that I am an artist of extraordinary ability who deserves to live and work here.
Of course, letters alone aren’t enough—my CV offers additional evidence of my qualifications. However, the initial request for those thirteen letters was one of the most vulnerable moments in my legal journey. I am deeply grateful to my recommenders, who not only believed in me as an artist but also agreed to support my case. Legally, letters of recommendation serve as evidence in cases of extraordinary ability, creating documented proof that grants my physical presence, restricted by borders and geographies, a certain degree of freedom.
I AM HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS KIND OF MAGICAL LETTER WRITING FOR YOU AS WELL.
You may request a letter of recommendation from me if:
A. (1) You are an immigrant artist in need of letters for your artist visa case and (2) I can serve as an unaffiliated expert in your field.
B. You are a current or former student applying to graduate school.
C. You are a peer artist applying for grants, residencies, or other opportunities.
Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, as a request does not guarantee my agreement to write a letter. I care about you as well as the quality of your work. Unlike David Wong's neighbors, I will not lie on your behalf or misrepresent facts.
If you feel my (free!) support would benefit your case, please contact me using the form below. Include:
A. The purpose of the letter and deadline.
B. How we know each other (year, occasion, city, show, etc.) and if I am familiar with your work.
C. Why you think my letter would be helpful for your case.
D. Three key points you’d like addressed in the letter.
E. A link to your CV, narrative, transcript (if relevant), and portfolio (if applicable).
I do not take rush orders unless an absolute emergency (like, you are facing deportation) is justified! Please budget at least 4 weeks. It will likely take me 2-5 hours to correspond with you about details, familiarize myself with your material, strategizing letter writing angles (i.e. making the case!), format and proofread. Please be kind and I do not owe you my time by default.
Thank you!