Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Fong Chew.
Hi Chris, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in San Jose, CA, in a majority-minority community. A lot of my peers were largely east, south, and southeast Asian and largely immigrants or the children of immigrants. I did not think much of this growing up, since it was simply the way things were, but as I have gotten older, I realized how unique an environment it was both in a social, political, and economic sense to be surrounded by people such diverse backgrounds. Being immersed in the complexities of many intersecting identities at such a young age and then eventually leaving that environment when I attended college gave me a perspective that helped me to engage in a variety of spaces as I continue to develop in both my academic, creative, and professional life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As with any journey, I think that it came with its struggles. Particularly when it came to understanding my place in the world, how I saw and perceived myself in relationship to others. Being in Social Justice Spaces from my later years of high school all the way through college, I have had to move through the friction of encountering many different perspectives, thoughts, and opinions and had to learn how to sit with them, to engage in conversation and keep an open mind. I think growing up, I was in an environment that was quick to judge, to place judgment on a person’s actions, appearance, life outlook, etc. As I got older, I began to become more curious in engaging with a diversity of not only identities and experiences but also ideas and philosophies. Often, when I encounter something that elicits a judgment or reaction from me, I take a moment to pause and sit with that feeling and use that as a point for further inquiry. This does not mean I do not have my own thoughts and opinions, but I hold to a fundamental belief that we as people are more alike than we are different.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been working on two major projects as of late. I just began my MFA in Creative Writing, and I am excited to be in a space with fellow writers and creatives, as well as academics and being able to grow and develop my skills not only as a writer but hopefully also as a thinker and a scholar.
Another project that I have begun that is very new is starting a writers collective. This came about one morning after sitting with a lot of friction in my mind for months. I knew I had these various interests and obsessions in what I wanted to be able to do creatively and as a person who has spent a lot of time in the nonprofit and educational space. One day I woke up and thought about creating a writers collective. I immediately reached out to some of my co-workers and friends, and week by week have been piecing together the various parts of what this organization and space will look like. I am deeply driven in building spaces that allow for others to engage, to be challenged, but at the end of the day to learn and grow. Creating a collective is currently the answer for that. This came after publishing a chapbook with a bunch of my writer friends and being able to see how a community came together to create. It was a wonderful experience and something I wanted to be able to bring to other spaces.
Our chapbook can be found here: https://a.co/d/iSjBFWP
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I think I was deeply curious, I read a lot as a kid and was fascinated by a lot of different things. Throughout my childhood, I noted that I had a lot of obsessions that I cannot entirely explain. I spent time being deeply obsessed with topics in history and science, technology, and the intersections of these things. Through my teen years, I found myself deeply engaged in sci-fi shows and was proudly a “nerd”. I think that I just liked to be seen as smart and was probably a bit annoying about it. But I am thankful to have had friends that engaged and supported my interests and helped me to grow as a person as well.
Through high school, I found myself drawn to a more creative and artistic side. I picked up the ukulele when I was in 8th grade and fell in love with music. This grew as I took guitar classes, joined my school choir, did musicals, and more. I really loved the creative arts and the community around it. I eventually decided to major in music and was given the privilege of studying it for my undergrad.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrisfongchew.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itschewwwy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisfongchew/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisfongchew/videos
Image Credits
YAZI (Yaz) FERRUFINO Onya Menil
