Helen Zia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helen Zia
謝漢蘭
Zia in 2024
Born	1952 (age 72–73) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	Princeton University (BA) Tufts University
Occupation	Journalist, activist
Spouse(s)	Lia Shigemura

Helen Zia (born in 1952) is a Chinese American journalist and activist. She works to support the rights of Asian Americans and LGBTQ people. After the tragic murder of Vincent Chin, Helen Zia helped start a group called American Citizens for Justice. This group successfully pushed for a federal trial in the case. She is seen as a very important person in the Asian American movement. The actions of American Citizens for Justice helped bring together many Asian Americans in the Midwest to fight for their rights. Helen Zia has continued to speak out for many causes, including women's rights and gay rights. She has also spoken to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about how news media affects different races. Helen Zia is also a talented author. She has written several books about the history and experiences of Asian Americans.

Helen Zia's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Helen Zia was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952. Her parents were immigrants from Shanghai, China. When she was five years old, she started helping in her parents' flower business.

In the early 1970s, Zia began studying at Princeton University. She was part of the first group of women to graduate from Princeton. While at college, Helen Zia helped create the Asian American Students Association. She also strongly spoke out against the Vietnam War. She believed in feminism, which means equal rights for women. She also worked to bring different groups of people together, especially those with lower incomes.

In 1974, Zia started medical school at Tufts University. However, she left in 1976. She then moved to Detroit, Michigan. There, she worked in construction and at an auto factory. She also became a community organizer. It was during this time that she found her true calling as a journalist and writer.

Important Activism Work

Helen Zia was living in Detroit when Vincent Chin was murdered in 1982. This event was a hate crime. Zia played a key role in getting federal civil rights charges filed against those responsible for Chin's death. She also helped unite the Asian American community through her journalism and advocacy.

At that time, there wasn't a strong Asian American movement in Detroit. But Zia's writing helped bring the community together to demand justice for Vincent Chin. She co-founded American Citizens for Justice, a civil rights group based in Detroit. In 1983, Helen Zia became the president of this group.

She has also spoken out on many other important issues. These include civil rights, peace, women's rights, and stopping hate violence. She also works to fight prejudice against LGBTQ people. In 1997, she spoke to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She talked about how news media affects different racial groups.

In 1995, she traveled to Beijing, China. She was part of a group of journalists of color attending the United Nations Fourth World Congress on Women.

Helen Zia has appeared in many news programs and films. Her work on the 1980s civil rights case about anti-Asian violence is shown in the film Who Killed Vincent Chin?. This film was nominated for an Academy Award. She was also featured in Bill Moyers' PBS documentary, "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience."

Awards and Recognition

A. Magazine named Helen Zia one of the most influential Asian Americans of her decade. She has won many journalism awards for her important stories. Her investigation into harassment on campus at the University of Michigan led to student protests. It also caused the university to change its rules.

Helen Zia received a special award called an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Law School of the City University of New York. This award recognized her work in bringing important legal and civil rights issues to public attention.

In August 2020, Zia received the NAAAP100 Award from the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP). She shared this award with activist Cecilia Chung, businessman Ryan Patel, and youth advocate Symington W. Smith.

In 2022, the Museum of the Courageous honored Helen Zia. They celebrated her courageous actions in standing up to hate and working for justice.

Books and Writings

Helen Zia's most recent book is Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution. It was released in January 2019.

In January 2000, Zia wrote Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. This book was a finalist for the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize. Former president of the United States Bill Clinton even quoted from Asian American Dreams in two speeches at the White House Rose Garden.

In January 2002, she co-wrote My Country Versus Me with Wen Ho Lee. This book tells the story of Lee, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He was wrongly accused of being a spy for China.

She also wrote a piece called Reclaiming the Past, Redefining the Future: Asian American and Pacific Islander Women. This was for the 2003 book Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium, edited by Robin Morgan.

Helen Zia was the executive editor of Ms. Magazine from 1989 to 1992. She also serves on the board of directors for the Women's Media Center. Her articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in many publications and books. These include Ms., The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Essence, The Advocate, and OUT.

Personal Life

In June 2008, Helen Zia married her partner, Lia Shigemura, in San Francisco. They were one of the first same-sex couples to legally marry in California. Helen Zia now lives in Oakland, California. She continues her activism and leads workshops there.

External Resources

• 2022 Interview with NPR on Vincent Chin's Death

See also

In Spanish: Helen Zia para niños