Class of 2025
(He/Him/His)
Hometown: Kentwood, Michigan
Majors: History and International Comparative Studies
Minor: Asian American & Diaspora Studies
Mellon Project: Words Carved onto Bones: Exploring the Formation of Chin Refugee Communities in the United States
By examining the intimate transnational intersections between displacement and resettlement, this project (a) investigates and records how Chin refugees form(ed) communities in Michigan, Indiana, and California through oral history, (b) situates the Chin people's history within Myanmar’s historical contexts "post-independence" (post-1948), (c) uses various archives to delineate the Chin people's history before and after 1948, and (d) interprets community history via frameworks of class, race, and religion. The soul of this project lies in collecting, narrating, and analyzing Asian American community history through the use of Indigenous and Critical Refugee Studies frameworks to investigate and examine the formation of Chin communities in the United States.
Academic Interests: Critical refugee studies and Asian American studies
Brief Bio: Thang is interested in exploring critical refugee studies and how we can knowledge produced by refugees can orient us toward better worlds. Thang is a huge fan of figure skating, and during his free time, he loves going on walks with friends and traveling.