Giannina Ong

Candidate statement

As the student representative, I will work to create a community of graduate and undergraduate students producing knowledge concerning Asian Americans through email correspondence and possibly a Facebook group in order to best assess the needs of this population of our membership. The interdisciplinary nature of our field makes dialoguing and connecting with one another potentially more insightful and vital. During the annual meeting, I will plan programing that connects students with mentors, networking socials to meet peers, and workshops to support students who are applying to graduate programs. I am a women's and gender studies master's student at University of Toronto and am in the process of applying to Ph.D programs. My research area of interest is Asian American motherhood: this academic year, I am investigating a (grand)mother-daughter/new mother postpartum ritual when undertaken by Chinese diasporic populations. I previously assisted the board members of an international academic society—corresponding, running elections, and organizing conferences. I look forward to aiding students like myself as we find our way through and into Asian American studies.