AAJA-NY: Corky Lee Fellowship in Photojournalism — Exhibit Opening Night

In the spirit of Corky Lee, the Asian American Journalists Association’s (AAJA) New York chapter is hosting a special reception for the inaugural Corky Lee Fellows in Photojournalism on Nov. 12 at 5pm ET in Manhattan's Chinatown.

The reception will debut the exhibit that will showcase the work of the two fellows, Fan Chen and Xyza Cruz Bacani, and the projects they have each worked on as part of this inaugural photojournalism fellowship sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

This reception will be a special night to celebrate Corky's legacy through the fellows' photos and the work they have completed through this AAJA New York fellowship.

Opening Reception

• 127 Walker Street, New York, New York 10013
• Nov. 12, 2022 from 5 – 8pm ET

About the Exhibit

The exhibit is open to the public everyday from 2 – 8pm ET starting on Nov. 8 to Nov. 22. The exhibit will be closed to the public on Nov. 12 for this opening reception.

About the Fellowship

The fellowship 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 an underrepresented community 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 Cruz 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, Bacani, follows the lives of various Bengali families as they navigate their lives in New York.