liú méi-zhì w.y.b. chen
劉梅智文苑
pronouns: they/them
[Image description: Liú looks at the camera with a bit of a self-conscious smirk on their face. They are wearing a dark blue snapback hat, angled to the left, a red and gray shirt, and a poofy blue and red vest. They have blue glasses, a nose ring, a jade bi pendant, and dangling earrings.
Liú (they/them) is a queer, trans non-binary, disabled Abolitionist nerd, descended from the islands of Taiwan and Ireland. They are currently the Oral History Program Manager at the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago. They view storytelling and oral history as key strategies for thawing trauma, empowering connection, and creating radical change. Their personal work focuses on anti-imperialism, queer/trans liberation, the heterogeneity of Asian and Asian/American identities, Black/Asian coalition movements, and the textures of silence and absence. They are guided by vanguard coalition activists/scholars such as Grace Lee Boggs, Audre Lorde, and Ella Jo Baker. Liú has often been called a trouble-maker.
Additional Audio Portfolio
These shorter clips were produced by Liú as part of their coursework for their Master’s of Arts degree in Oral History.