Fay Chiang

Fay Chiang (January 27, 1952 – October 20, 2017) was an American poet, writer,^[1] visual artist and activist based in New York City^[2] who was an advocate for introducing Chinese culture to American society.^[3]

Fay Chiang
Born	(1952-01-27)January 27, 1952 The Bronx, New York
Died	(2017-10-20)October 20, 2017

Personal life

Chiang was born in The Bronx in 1952.^[3] She grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens^[4] and later lived in New York City in the East Village.^[5] She died due to complications of cancer on October 20, 2017.^[3]

Career

Chiang was the director of the Chinatown-based Asian American arts organization, Basement Workshop, in New York City from 1975 to 1986.^[6] Later, Chiang was active at the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, Project Reach, a program working with youth in New York City's Chinatown, and Poets and Writers.^[5] She was also involved in student-led protests advocating for better Asian American Studies courses at New York colleges.^[5]

Chiang's books of poetry include In The City of Contradictions, Miwa's Song, and 7 Continents, 9 Lives, published by Bowery Press.^[7][8] Her poetry focused on her identity as a Chinese-American, and explored the discrimination she faced through a lens of intersectionality.^[9]