"Our Stories" - Illustrated Reflections on Cantonese Language and Culture

Compiled and illustrated by Noah Hrung (UCLA DMA '28 & founder of Save Cantonese at UCLA), "Our Stories: Illustrated Reflections on Cantonese Language & Culture" is a zine on Cantonese language and culture that was exhibited from January 15-29, 2026 at the New Wight Gallery (Rm 1100) in the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Center.

Thirteen writers, aged 11-74, from three different countries, shared their stories about why Cantonese matters to them, with illustrations by Noah Hrung. From love for family karaoke to Stephen Chow movies, from struggles over identity, to communicating with clinic patients, speaking (and sometimes reading and writing), Cantonese means something unique to every contributor.

The exhibition opened during the UCLA Design Media Arts Undergraduate Winter Exhibition 2026, "Acid Reflux" and is part of a cross-campus effort to celebrate Cantonese language and culture, with the eventual goal of reinstating Cantonese classes at UCLA in the near future.

To get involved and learn more, visit the Save Cantonese at UCLA website, follow the org on social media, and read this article published recently by Pacific Ties (the oldest student-run Asian and Pacific Islander news magazine in the nation).

Download a free digital copy of the zine to learn more about "Our Stories"!

This exhibition was presented by UCLA Design Media Arts and sponsored by Save Cantonese at UCLA and the UCLA Asia Pacific Center's Cantonese Heritage Initiative.