about me

My name is Emma Chan (she/her pronouns), and I'm a high school senior. I'm passionate about writing because I believe in the transformative and healing power of words. I love learning about history and philosophy because they give me a more informed perspective on the present.
When I'm not writing or reading, I advocate for mental health awareness and legislation, as well as human rights issues in Asia. I'm also a loyal fan of BTS and love to play games with my friends.

view my work

other interests/experience

mental health advocacy

human rights and democracy advocacy

creative writing

I write to understand my identity, including my Asian heritage. I’m particularly interested in cultural commodification, and how that influences how second-generation immigrants view their own heritage. I also love finding inspiration from relatable everyday experiences, whether those be childhood memories or clickbait advertisements.

honors

history research

The Concord Review-research paper

I was intrigued by the story behind the publication of Dr. Zhivago, one of my favorite novels, and how it represented a microcosm of Cold War relations between the US and the Soviet Union. In 9th grade, I authored this 9000 word research paper about the Zhivago Affair, using primary source documents from the CIA's newly declassified files about their operation to disseminate Dr. Zhivago throughout the Soviet bloc.

The Zhivago Affair: The Unconventional Role of a Novel as a Weapon of Political Subversion in the Cultural Cold War

National History Day-documentary

As the daughter of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese immigrants, I wanted to explore democratic protests in Asia and raise awareness for the Hong Kong Anti-ELAB protests through this documentary. I interviewed Tiananmen Square Protest leader Zhou Fengsuo as well as professor Avery Goldstein from the University of Pennsylvania.

Daring to Dream of Democracy: the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests