Book by Franklin's You wins American Folklore Society Honor

graphic illustration with women, text over flowing lines
By:
Alan Flurry
Ziying You, Associate Professor in the department of Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies and the Center for Asian Studies, is the author of "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Chinese and Chinese American Women," published by the University of Indiana Press earlier in 2025.
 
The book examines how Chinese and Chinese American women in the United States experienced and responded to the double threat of the COVID-19 virus and anti-Asian racism from 2020 to 2021 and how the global pandemic changed their daily lives, foodways, and identities:
Ziying You addresses the social and cultural impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese and Chinese American Women in the US through the four key themes of racism and anti-racism efforts, foodways, gender construction, and community building. Drawing on virtual ethnography, interviews, surveys, social media analysis, and personal experiences of professional women, mothers, Chinese international students, lay Buddhist women, and Chinese adoptees, You shows that the racism triggered by COVID-19 echoes longstanding racist tropes such as " the yellow peril" and discriminations faced by Chinese people in different parts of the world throughout the history of the Chinese diaspora. You further explores how individuals relating to one or more identities can form communities in which folklore helps them bond and express shared, unique cultural values.
You's book was awarded an Elli Köngäs-Maranda Prize from the American Folklore Society, which recognizes superior work on women’s traditional, vernacular, or local culture and/or feminist theory and folklore. 
 
Congratulations to Dr. You on this outstanding honor and well-deserved recognition of scholarly accomplishment. The book is Open Access and freely available to read online.
 
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