The Corky Lee Fellowship in Photojournalism

The Asian American Journalists Association’s (AAJA) New York chapter is hosting a two-week public exhibit to showcase the projects of the inaugural Corky Lee Fellows in Photojournalism.

Exhibit Details

About the Exhibit

Tickets are not required to view the exhibit. The exhibit is free and open to the public everyday from 2 – 8pm ET starting on Nov. 8 to Nov. 22 with the exception of Nov. 12.

About the Fellowship

The Corky Lee Fellowship in Photojournalism honors the “undisputed, unofficial Asian American photographic laureate” Corky Lee and aims to continue the legacy that Corky left in photojournalism and in AAJA New York. Each fellow received a $5,000 grant from AAJA New York to support their project that documents underrepresented communities in New York City.

Fellows Bios and Project Descriptions

Fan Chen is a journalist born and raised in Guangzhou, China. She has reported in Cambodia, Nepal and the Czech Republic, writing about labor, gender, criminal justice and historical trauma. Chen is a graduate of New York University and Columbia Journalism School.

Chen’s project throughout her Corky Lee Fellowship, was an exploration of the Chinese community in the predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhood of East Harlem. Chen would spend days on end with the Chinese seniors in the neighborhood becoming in a way an adopted grand daughter, going with them to the social security office, gardening with them, dancing, and even eating dinner with them. Through these small interactions, Chen has created work addressing the challenges and daily lives of Chinese American seniors.

Xyza Bacani is a Filipina author and photographer based in New York. Having worked as a second-generation domestic worker for nearly a decade, she is interested in the intersection of labor migration, climate change and human rights.

Bacani’s project throughout her Corky Lee fellowship, focused on the Bengali community in New York and their journey towards achieving the American dream. In her photographs, Cruz Bacani, follows the lives of various Bengali families as they navigate their lives in New York.

Executive Editor

An Rong Xu is a New York City and Taipei-based photographer and director. Xu’s work is rooted in the beauty of the ordinary, capturing a rich, cinematic stillness in his photography. His clients include The New York Times, National Geographic, Airbnb and more.

About Corky Lee