Mia Nakano is a photographer and archivist with an interest in LGBTQ stories. But she used to struggle to find resources on queer and trans Asian American history. So she took it upon herself to begin documenting their experiences.

"The camera was a way for me to be around other people and have a purpose, but not have to be fully immersed in the room."

Today, Mia is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Resilience Archives, an organization she began in collaboration with San Francisco-based community organizing group APIENC. It blends visual and performance arts to share the narratives and histories of Bay Area LGBTQ Asian Pacific Americans.

You check out Mia’s work in the upcoming Resilience Archives live showcase Performing Visible Resilience on May 31 at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.