Mamie Chen
Twists, Dyes, and Heritage: A Summer Camp Story
Last year while I was in China I had the opportunity to join a summer camp. This was held by the Chinese government for American-Chinese children who wanted to explore their culture.
A week prior to my summer camp I had gone through all the activities that I would be able to do. Row after row were descriptions of fun and exciting activities, but one that stood out more than the others was the “tie-dye”activity. It seemed like a perfect break from the other fun but demanding and exhausting activities. This seemed like one where I could just sit down, and make my own creation based on my thoughts and creativity, and learn about my culture.
We walked into the tie-dye classroom. It was filled, top to bottom, row after row, of tie dye creations, such as stuffed animals, decor, and clothing. The teacher instructed that we sit down in groups, and remain quiet while she explained the captivating culture of tie-dying.
Tie-dying originated in the yellow river basin, as early as the Qin and Han dynasties, and during the Tang dynasty it became a social fashion. The unique indigo colored dye is made from crushed up indigo plants and fermenting them. Ropes are tied around what is being dyed to create unique shapes and patterns.
After learning about the origins of tie-dying we got to experience it for ourselves.
Every student got a bag with all the supplies needed.The first thing we would be making was an astronaut stuffed animal, it was just the exterior of the stuffed animal without the cloth, we were going to stuff it after we tie dyed it.
The main teacher gave us a step-by-step demonstration on how to tie-dye, and we all followed suit. First, we were to bundle the astronaut up with rubber bands. There were different techniques that could be used. For example, by tying the astronaut in a spiral shape the resulting pattern would be a spiral. Although there were many different ways I could’ve tied up my astronaut, I settled for tying wherever I felt needed. We were advised to keep on tying the astronaut until it was as hard as a rock. This was because the dye used was very strong, and the more we tied it the less amount of cloth would be exposed to the dye, so it wouldn’t turn into a plain dark blue astronaut.
After we were done tying the astronaut we handed our creation to the teacherwho would dip and soak our astronauts in a vat of traditional chinese dye. After along couple of minutes filled with anticipation, we finally got it back. It Wasn't whatwe were expecting, all of ours looked super black, and upon rinsing it off, we foundout that the already very strong dye was accidentally made even stronger than usual.Therefore, our astronauts turned out way darker than what we were expecting, but wedidn't mind because it still looked amazing.
We brought our astronauts outside to dry in the sun. After drying we brought them inside to stuff with cotton.
I wanted mine to be filled to the brim with cotton, so this step took the longest. I filled and filled, until the stuffed animal felt like the high quality stuffed animal that I deserved.
This whole experience was enriching, I made memories, learned about my culture, and brought home a very unique tie-dyed astronaut.
“It’s about my experiences in a summer camp in China, made for American-Chinese kids like me who want to learn more about their culture. Out of all the exciting activites, I was especially drawn to the tie-dye session. It seemed like a calm and creative break where I could just sit down, make something of my won, and connect with my roots. Although the dye turned out stronger than expected and made our astronauts darker than we imagined, I still thought mine looked amazing. This activity helped me learn more about Chinese culture in a really fun way. I made something special with my own hands, and I took home a unique astronaut full of memories and meaning. I keep the astronaut on my bed, and whever I look at it, all the memories come back to life.”
Words from the Author:
“My name is Mamie Chen, I am 13 and an incoming 9th grader. I was born and raised in Texas, I live with my parents, my brother, and two cats. Through my family and friends, I was exposed to, surrounded and captivated by my Chinese culture. Whether it’s learning about how a certain dynasty rose and fell or the traditional food, I always find myself wanting to learn more about my culture. In my free time, I find myself playing violin, reading, and drawing. They’re some of my favorite ways to express myself-whether it’s getting lost in a good book, playing a certain melody, or putting my feelings into a canvas. I love to use my imagination and creativity to show who I am. “