Age: 20

Date of performance: 2/22/25

Nationality: Chinese

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: Chinese & English

Residence: United States

Context:

The interviewee believes that the hand sign provides a window for the user to see someone close that’s deceased. They originally heard it from other kids while growing up. Despite this knowledge, and influence as a kid growing up, they have never tried the hand sign as a result of superstition. This superstition stems from the fact that they believe that if it’s done incorrectly, the dead will haunt them instead. According to them, they believe that its origins stem from Japan. Furthermore, this concept is also seen in general throughout Asian Literature

Analysis:

I found this concept to be interesting as I feel like I’ve heard of this hand sign before in media. Despite having a faint memory of previous references, I’ve never encountered one with a concept such as this one and its connection to a dead loved one. I feel like I’ve naturally heard of ones with similar ideas that are all connected to some vision of the dead. Much like my interviewee’s interpretation, I’ve heard of one that serves as a lens to the world of the dead in general, with the consequences serving from staring at the ghosts or certain animals.