Capturing daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian American Photojournalist Eric Lee roamed the streets of Washington D.C and New York recording his experience through street photography. Selected shots from the project have been put together for his photo series “a distanced memory” which explores his feelings of despair, isolation, loneliness and hope. In this interview, he discusses graduating from Corcoran College of the Arts and Design during the pandemic and his thesis exploring Asian identity and boyhood. On his own journey to understand Asian American identity, Eric Lee talks about the role of photography in his personal life, finding his voice documenting the world as an asian photographer and his passion to bring the experience of Asian American people to light. Attending events such as the reopening rally in Virginia in the midst of rising anti-asian hate crimes, he goes on to talk about his growing fears and anxiety for his safety and his family’s welfare. As the racism and attacks during the pandemic added another layer to the challenges faced by the AAPI community, Eric Lee discusses how he is finding his voice during the COVID-19 pandemic and his hopes for the future generations as they explore their identity.