Helen Zia (born 1952)

Helen Zia is a powerful voice in journalism, civil rights activist, who has inspired all who have heard who speak or read her books and essays. Born to Chinese immigrants, Zia is a 1973 graduate of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Dropping out of Tufts medical school to devote her life to social justice, she became nationally known as a journalist and community organizer after the 1982 Detroit murder of Vincent Chin. When Chin’s killers received no jail time and a $3000 fine, Zia ignited a national Asian civil rights movement that led to the government bringing federal civil rights charges against the perpetrators – the first time on behalf of an Asian man in American history. As a married lesbian, Zia has championed intersectional advocacy, bridging racial, gender and LGBTQIA+ issues.  Her resume includes the editorship of Ms. and newspaper/magazine articles. Zia’s memoir, Asian American Dreams, is a foundational text in ethnic studies as it details the struggle for Asian American rights against the backdrop of her life.