Community Garden
“Community Garden” (2024) by Ashley Rajavadee / Ink on paper
By Ashley Rajavadee
Community, to me, transcends geography; it embodies a collective spirit of resilience and solidarity. It’s the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, resonating through shared dreams and unwavering support. My Lao community is something I hold dearly to my heart, and my grandfather, my Thu Pa, was the center of our community. For decades, our community and temple thrived under the guidance of my grandfather, a selfless leader whose dedication fostered unity and empowerment among not only the Lao diaspora but also the broader refugee and immigrant populations in central Ohio.
Through his leadership, our small Lao temple and community became a sanctuary for education, advocacy, and cultural preservation. I like to think of the community as a flower garden, and Thu Pa loved his gardening. Every year, his flowers bloomed vibrantly and brought so much color and happiness to all of us. I made this piece in dedication to Thu Pa and his flower garden, both his literal and figurative garden. I included flowers from his actual garden and also drew national flowers stemming from a few of the many diasporic communities he impacted: Dok Champa from Laos, Lotus from Vietnam, Romduol from Cambodia, Ratchaphruek from Thailand, and Sampaguita Jasmine from the Philippines. Thu Pa’s garden still blooms to this day, and our beloved community continues to flourish because of the seeds he planted for us.
About the Artist
Ashley Rajavadee (she/her) is a data professional working in the impact nonprofit space. She was a Summer 2019 OCA National Center intern. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition in 2020 and with her Master of Science in Data Analytics in 2023. She is passionate about utilizing data for social impact and community development. Though she currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, she was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. As a proud daughter of Lao refugees, she is dedicated to uplifting her community through all of her work.