Tuckahoe NY Pride

Helen Zia is an American journalist, author, and community organizer known for advancing Asian American civil rights and LGBTQ+ equality. She rose to national prominence through advocacy around the Vincent Chin case, helping catalyze a modern Asian American movement and highlighting anti-Asian violence. Zia has written widely on race, gender, immigration, and coalition politics, combining reporting with grassroots organizing. Her books include Asian American Dreams and Last Boat Out of Shanghai, which explore identity, history, and displacement. Openly lesbian, she has also worked for inclusive media representation and cross-community solidarity. She emphasizes shared struggle, participation, and historical memory in activism.

From Last Boat out of Shanghai: “There are many lessons to be learned from refugees and migrants that can contribute to the understanding needed to navigate the global tectonics to bring people together, not drive them into flight.”

Photo credit Josh Edelson