An Oral History Project Conducted by John Robert Lewis Scholar Nelson Lin
Project Description
For my oral history project, I will interview Roxanne Chang, a core member of Gongming Collective, a collective of Chinese interpreters based in New York City whose work centers around language justice. New York City contains the largest Chinese diaspora of any city in the United States; here, struggles for equity amongst immigrant communities are front and center.
Language justice is loosely defined as “the right everyone has to communicate in the language in which we feel most comfortable”. Amid struggles in contemporary Chinatowns against gentrification, Gongming Collective’s work has supported the advocacy of monolingual immigrant communities through bridging language barriers within our English-centric society. I will interview Chang about her initial work with Gongming Collective, their current initiatives, and her perspectives as an interpreter and translator fighting towards language justice.
Oral History Interview with Roxanne Change - 06/27/2024
Presentation Recording