I bring my lived experiences as a multiethnic woman to my scholarly, pedagogical, and civic engagements, in which I strive to dismantle oppression, promote educational equity, and foster inclusion and cross-cultural understanding. I grew up in an interracial, interfaith household where I was taught that people with different beliefs and cultural practices can and should be mutually respectful of one another. This background informs my work as a literary scholar of comparative critical race studies, a teacher of antiracist writing and multiethnic U.S. literatures, and a community activist who is committed to promoting and engaging in social justice. In my ongoing work as a scholar, educator, and activist, I am invested in continuing to engage in critical conversations around racial liberation, promote non-hierarchical learning in the classroom so as to support the intellectual, professional, and social development of historically underrepresented students, and ground my research efforts in community involvement.
Research and Antiracism
My research focuses on a central question: how does narrative engage social justice? I ask this question as a literary studies scholar who is keenly aware of the power of storytelling to build community, and as a critical race studies scholar who is committed to challenging systems of oppression. In pursuing this interdisciplinary line of inquiry, I work at the intersection of literary studies, rhetoric studies, critical race studies, and cultural studies to explore how narrative can function as an agent of social and political change. I study literature and language because I know that words and stories play a powerful role in shaping social ideologies and practices and in advancing movements for liberation. To support my scholarship, I am involved in several professional organizations that consider the intersections between literary studies and comparative critical race studies, such as the American Studies Association, the American Literature Association, the Association for Asian American Studies, the Circle for Asian American Literary Studies, the Society for Critical Mixed Race Studies, and the Society for the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States.
Inclusive Pedagogy
Throughout my career as an educator, I have worked with students from many different backgrounds, such as students with disabilities, student-athletes, students of color, students from many different majors (across the STEM, social sciences, and humanities disciplines), first-generation college students, international students, and non-traditional students who have returned to school after long careers in non-academic industries. I have taught students in both lower-division and upper-division courses, in both small seminars and large lecture classes, and at both the undergraduate and graduate level. All of these experiences have made me sensitive to and familiar with the unique challenges and rewards that come with the privilege of teaching in a diverse academic community.
In the classroom I utilize pedagogical strategies that demonstrate sensitivity to the diverse needs of my students and encourage my students to think critically about institutional and social inequities. For example, I strive to create common cultural ground in the classroom by designing opportunities for students to draw connections between their personal lives and the course material and by choosing course materials that are inclusive both in terms of content and accessibility.
As teacher of writing, rhetoric, literature, and antiracism, I strive to cultivate in my students an appreciation for the intersections between literature and social justice work. I craft my courses with two critical questions in mind: How might the writing classroom inspire students from a variety of disciplines to engage in social justice work? What is the role of the writing classroom in promoting cross-cultural solidarity and community building within and among disparate social groups?
In the classroom I utilize pedagogical strategies that demonstrate sensitivity to the diverse needs of my students and encourage my students to think critically about institutional and social inequities. For example, I strive to create common cultural ground in the classroom by designing opportunities for students to draw connections between their personal lives and the course material and by choosing course materials that are inclusive both in terms of content and accessibility.
As teacher of writing, rhetoric, literature, and antiracism, I strive to cultivate in my students an appreciation for the intersections between literature and social justice work. I craft my courses with two critical questions in mind: How might the writing classroom inspire students from a variety of disciplines to engage in social justice work? What is the role of the writing classroom in promoting cross-cultural solidarity and community building within and among disparate social groups?
Service and Social Justice
A strong believer in the importance of grounding scholarly pursuits in community engagement, I work actively in the academic community and beyond to promote diversity and inclusion. My activism has a long history that dates back to my college years at UCLA, when I founded a community-based student organization called The Writer's Den that brings UCLA students into under-resourced middle schools and high schools in the Los Angeles area for the purpose of teaching creative writing workshops. This organization is still thriving and growing today.
This spirit of activism has continued into the present, in which I mobilize my privileges as a faculty member to mentor historically underrepresented students, support campus and community efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion, and organize educational events that raise awareness about social and political injustices. At Stanford I serve on the board of the Asian Staff Forum, an organization dedicated to fostering a more inclusive campus and advocating for the needs of the Asian American community. During my time at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), I served from 2017-2020 on the English department's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. During the 2019-20 academic year, I served as the Co-Chair for the university-wide steering committee of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Faculty and Staff Association (APIDA FSA) at Cal Poly, where I directed the planning for many social and professional development events and helped distribute scholarships that recognize students at Cal Poly who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to serving the APIDA community.
I also participate actively in service to my academic field and the broader community. Currently, I serve on the leadership board for the Critical Mixed Race Studies caucus of the Association for Asian American Studies. I also serve on the Advisory Board for the Circle for Asian American Literary Studies. In addition, I have served as an expert reviewer for the flagship journal of multi-ethnic literary studies, Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS). Furthermore, I have collaborated with several community organizations in the greater San Luis Obispo area, including Literacy for Life, the SLO NOOR Clinic Foundation, the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, and the El Camino Homeless Organization, as part of my efforts to engage my students in service-learning projects that support the larger community.
This spirit of activism has continued into the present, in which I mobilize my privileges as a faculty member to mentor historically underrepresented students, support campus and community efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion, and organize educational events that raise awareness about social and political injustices. At Stanford I serve on the board of the Asian Staff Forum, an organization dedicated to fostering a more inclusive campus and advocating for the needs of the Asian American community. During my time at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), I served from 2017-2020 on the English department's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. During the 2019-20 academic year, I served as the Co-Chair for the university-wide steering committee of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Faculty and Staff Association (APIDA FSA) at Cal Poly, where I directed the planning for many social and professional development events and helped distribute scholarships that recognize students at Cal Poly who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to serving the APIDA community.
I also participate actively in service to my academic field and the broader community. Currently, I serve on the leadership board for the Critical Mixed Race Studies caucus of the Association for Asian American Studies. I also serve on the Advisory Board for the Circle for Asian American Literary Studies. In addition, I have served as an expert reviewer for the flagship journal of multi-ethnic literary studies, Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS). Furthermore, I have collaborated with several community organizations in the greater San Luis Obispo area, including Literacy for Life, the SLO NOOR Clinic Foundation, the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, and the El Camino Homeless Organization, as part of my efforts to engage my students in service-learning projects that support the larger community.
