The name Rong Xin comes from a mini-mall in Flushing that cannot be found on any map. The facade of the mall immediately brings people back to 1980s and 1990s China. Shops stand side by side, dominated by a massive, eye-catching wall covered in recruitment and rental notices. This is indeed the very first landing spot for many new immigrants arriving in New York, where they get SIM cards, search for jobs, and embark on their new, uncertain journeys.
In 2023, several artists/collectives held an exhibition titled “Home-O-Stasis: Life and Livelihoods in Flushing” inside Rong Xin Plaza. The artwork were ingeniously interwoven with the daily details of the mall, creating a subtle dialogue between art, the vibrant bustle of everyday life, and the surrounding reality. Finding ourselves once again in 2026, amid a tempest of screening and deportation against immigrants, how should we engage in conversations about this complex and volatile community? Rong Xin Plaza is not only a microcosm of this community, but also a tangible thing that people can hold onto amidst the maelstrom that is our reality. Rong Xin invited ten artists and scholars, including participating artists, to re-create works spanning short stories, games, self-narratives, interviews, and photography. Through various details, the book outlines the trajectories of new immigrants from arrival and wandering to employment and settlement. Through the nuances of reading and design, one temporarily traverses the intersecting streets and alleys of Flushing, finding a transient sense of security.