Mich Saelee

Mich is a 18 year old Iu-Mien artist and singer/songwriter from Northern California that primarily focuses on writing music, although they do also dabble in visual arts. Their love for art and anything creative started at a young age, always making random little sculptures from anything they could find around the house, marking their territory on their homework assignments by doodling outside the margins, finding/making cheap decorations they could hang up inside their room, anything they could do to be creative. As they grew up and discovered more of their identity, they used art as a form of escapism. Further down the road they picked up guitar and started writing songs about their own experiences. This opened a whole new world of self expression and exploration for Mich, giving them a new medium to process their emotions and feelings through. 

Mich hopes to find new avenues to express themselves and work on ways to tell their stories and experiences effectively, and more importantly have fun along the journey.


I believe that what “home” is greatly varies from person to person. Personally I think that home is a feeling. The feeling of comfort and familiarity, knowing that you are safe and not in any sort of danger. Growing up I’ve always felt unsafe in the place where I live. I’ve always had a tumultuous relationship with at least one person living in my house if not multiple. Once I got my own room and space, that was when I began to conceptualize “home” more. For the longest time I wouldn’t let anyone into my room because it was my only true safe space- It was the only place where I didn’t have to keep any secrets. Home for me is where I can be comfortable and open about myself; my room, my friends, and (some of) my family.



Aside from the obvious, I'll name some more unconventional places.


There is a specific restaurant that I go to called Sweetie's. Its a cute little diner and I go there a lot with my close friends. Although I would say I'm not in their target demographic, I love going there because it's always a really relaxing experience and I have shared a lot of conversations there. This is a more recent development, but I've never been tied more to a restaurant. 


Another place I feel strangely connected to is the Wing Wa market here in Sacramento. Wing Wa has always been a landmark for me. I used to travel a lot to Merced with my family and we would always stop by Wing Wa on the way there and back. Whenever I walk into the store and I'm hit all at once with the heavy smell of incense, the faces that aren't 99% white, the people that remind me of my grandma, and the cheap toys made oversees that smell like they've been sitting there for 20 years.



My understanding of home doesn't involve my family as much because ever since I recognized my beliefs and identity don't align with my parents, I've severed that connection. I didn't do this consciously of course. Reflecting back on it, this happened around 7th grade for me. I think I responded this way as a coping mechanism. Instead of building my idea of home around my parents, I found my definition of home through finding like minded people and sharing my experiences with them.



I feel more connected to my queer side more. I think its because there are more resources for self discovery and dealing with queerness. I struggle being connected to my Mien side. I really want to be connected to it, however I don't have anyone that is in the community deep enough to learn from. I also worry that because I am not traditional in any sense that older Mien people would turn me away because of my queerness.



I hope that through my art I can express solidarity and community. I hope that I can make something that others will look at and go "hey! I've had a similar experience." By talking about our issues and experiences and making implicit assumptions explicit, we will be able to continue healing and bring growth to our communities.



Art has always played a role of escapism and processing for me. When i write a new song or when I make a new drawing it also gives me the time to process my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It is connected to my journey of belonging because it allows me to reflect on myself and think through who I want to be.



I have a dream of forming stronger community and letting the generation after continue to thrive and build on it.



This project allows me to hear similar but vastly different perspectives from my own. Mien people, Southeast-Asian people, Queer people, Queer Southeast-Asian people are not a monolith and shouldn't be treated as such. I've had a problem with this in the past and having a community where our issues, dreams, ideals, and beliefs are at the forefront, not suppressed, allows me to actually recognize we aren't a monolith- rather than just seeing it on paper.



I hope to write more music and participate in events where I can continue to share my stories. Although life gets in the way of creative endeavors, I will find a way.



You can find me at @michsaeleemusic on Instagram. Along with that I regularly update my site (sites.google.com/view/michsaelee) with anything new I'm apart of.

Shades of Identity, 2024

digital / printed on canvas

A self portrait exploring identity