Sally Mo '20

Major: Political Science
Bio: Sally Mo grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated in February 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She currently works at Supermajority Education Fund and hopes to continue pursuing a career in the nonprofit social advocacy field.

Title of Research: Being Gaysian in New York
Mentor: Dr. Aseel Sawalha
Abstract: Although New York is one of the most diverse cities in the US, boundaries of inclusion and exclusion are drawn around real and imagined communities based on race, class, gender and sexuality. In this paper, I analyze the experience of young adult queer Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Americans who live in New York City to examine how the intersection of racial identity and queer identity affects how they navigate community and space in New York City. I interviewed 16 folx about their ties to their family, their connection the API community, and their connection to the queer community. Many folx struggled with identifying as both queer and API, and relate more to their API American identity than their queer identity. There was a correlation between folx’s upbringing and the distancing of their queer identity: those that currently live at their parent’s house and were more likely to still be in the closet. The goal of this research is to shed light on the nuances of navigating the queer API identity, as everyone goes through a different journey with coming out. This can help better understand how people with similar identities are not a monolith and have varied perceptions on their involvement in those communities.