Jey Saung
they/them, Instructor
About
Hailing from Taiwan and southern California, Jey received their B.A. in Women's Studies and B.S. in Psychology from UC Davis, their M.A. in Gender Studies from the University of Leeds, and their PhD in Feminist Studies from the University of Washington. Drawing on the work of Black feminist science fiction writer Octavia Butler, Jey's research explores the figure of the Asian American resident alien through the lens of queer kinship, alternative intimacies, and national belonging. Their research challenges critical approaches that frame queer kinship solely through resistance or complicity, instead proposing a reading practice that attends to “alien intimacies”—the constituting of the “other” within the body of the “self.” Their work interrogates how identity, community, and belonging are shaped through the unstable borders of self and nation.
In their free time, Jey enjoys kickboxing, playing board games, and taking naps with their dog Potato.