Fall for the Book Minifest: COVID & Chinese and Chinese American Women

Thursday, February 19, 2026 1:30 PM EST
Fenwick Library, Fenwick Reading Room

During the pandemic, Chinese and Chinese American women faced a double threat of illness and vitriolic racism. In its aftermath, folklorist Ziying You addresses this experience by examining gender, religion, community building, and more, alongside connections with historical and enduring racism. Author Solimar Otero, says, “Dealing with anti-Asian sentiments and violence fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, Ziying You brings women and their families into focus to flesh out moments where the practice of folklore both harms and heals, eventually revealing the complexities of race, ethnicity, and gender in times of crisis.”