Tracy Ying Zhang

I grew up in Shanghai, China, where I pursued my first university degree in Industrial Design. Now, I have lived in Canada for more than twenty-five years. With this transnational background, my past and ongoing research projects have explored the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, labor migration, body politics, and settler colonial capitalism in global cultural industries. Alongside my academic research, I strive to
support feminist and BIPOC organizations and mobilize social science research to raise public awareness of the precarious work life of artisans, entertainers, and movie workers.
Starting in 2018, I began to create collaborative polyvocal projects that employ various methods of filmmaking, web design, and social science research. My first attempt generated a participatory photography project, called ''Women in Film Education''. In 2021, dismayed by the surge of anti-Asian racism in Canada, I started to develop ideas
for a project that would invite critical reflections on Asia and the Asian diaspora. I had previously collaborated with Junru and Ali and learned about their distinct career pathways in North America. Meanwhile, the York Center for Asian Research (YCAR) launched a new funding initiative named ''Reimagining Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies’’ to offer seed money for small projects. After having a few meetings with Junru and Ali, we decided to apply for the YCAR grant together and used it to create three mini-documentaries under the theme of “Love in the Time of COVID-19.” Through numerous conversations with Junra and Ali spanning nearly two years, we developed and created three short films, titled “Love in Chaos,” “The Emigrant Queer Lovebirds,” and “Through the Frames: Diary of an Immigrant.” All of the films are inspired by Junru
and Ali’s immigration stories and artistic achievements.  I am grateful that we had this opportunity to learn from each other and to share our perspectives with a public audience.