Bio

Professional Bio

I am an Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies and Director of LGBTQ+ Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. My first book and academic first love is an ethnographic study of queer kinship and family change in Taiwan. I currently study LGBTQ+ marriage-based immigration to the United States. A third project centers narratives of loss through a friend breakup or death of a friend. You can find my recent publications and works in progress here and my full CV here. At UM-Dearborn, I am the faculty advisor to two student organizations, Pride and Iris, serving LGBTQ+ and queer SWANA and Muslim students, respectively. I teach courses on LGBTQ+ Religious Experience, Family Diversity and Power, and other topics. I am honored to be Co-Chair of the Association for Queer Anthropology.

Imagine description: a white woman with short dark hair, wearing a red dress and red lipstick, smiles at someone out of the frame.

Personal bio

As is true for many researchers, my work and life experiences are intertwined. As a child, I lived in mainland China with my US citizen parents and developed an interest in family migration during this period. I am queer and femme and navigated the marriage immigration process with a former partner. Like my interviewees, I have lost friends and members of my chosen family. I’m glad to answer questions about my story and how it pertains to my research. I try to practice transparency and vulnerability in my research and teaching.

Endorsement by my niece

Child's handwriting reads, I love Amy. She is my ant (spelled a-n-t).
Image description: text in child’s handwriting reads, I love Amy. She is my ant (spelled a-n-t).