Clara Lee
Clara Lee
PhD Student
Clara Lee (she/her) is currently a first-year PhD student in American Studies at George Washington University. Prior to GW, she worked as an 11th grade Humanities teacher for two years at a private boarding school in rural Indiana. She received an A.B. with Honors in History at the University of Chicago in 2022. Clara’s research interests relate to the process of race- and identity-making (particularly for Asians and Asian-Americans) during the Cold War and its relationship with American politics, film, and media. She is particularly interested in the tensions surrounding the term “Asian-American”: what does it mean politically/socially/culturally, who does it encompass (or not), and how does being Asian-American intersect with, or disrupt, a sense of “Americanness”?
Where did you go for undergrad and what did you study?
I actually started off as a pre-med bio major, before switching tracks entirely in my sophomore year—hence the bio minor in addition to a major in history. I earned my degree from the University of Chicago!
Is there one book/piece of media that inspired you to pursue field of American Studies? If so, which one and why?
I was really inspired by an English seminar I took in senior year of high school on the works of Viet Thanh Nguyen. His non-fiction book Nothing Ever Dies and its discussion of the power and complicity of Hollywood before, during, and after American wars (particularly interventionist wars in Asia) was so fascinating, particularly when read in combination with his novel The Sympathizer (incidentally, one of my favorite books) and Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. His concept of the Hollywood-military industrial complex opened my eyes to the ways in which film, media, and politics intersect and can have extreme consequences—once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it! It lingered in the back of my mind until I re-read Nguyen’s work during the peak of COVID, when terms like “kung flu” and “China virus” were going around and anti-Asian hate crimes were on the rise. That’s pretty much when I decided to switch majors. I went back to Nguyen’s framework when writing my thesis about creating Asian and Asian American identities through film and media during the 1970s and 80s, which ended up taking a very American Studies style interdisciplinary approach. So, while somewhat indirect, Nguyen is the person who started me down this path of American Studies!
Why American Studies and why GW?
From the beginning, I conceived of my work as an interdisciplinary affair, so American Studies seemed like the perfect place for it. I chose GW because of everything it could offer me—particularly the opportunity to learn from and work with the amazing faculty and their research interests. I truly felt like GW would be a supportive space where I could flourish. And, of course, being in DC—with access to all of its archives, museums, and memorials—is perfect for a project so concerned with American politics, memory, and culture!
If you were stuck on an island and could bring only three things, what would they be and why?
1. A phone, which would hopefully have service to get me off the island ASAP!
2. A water purifier/desalination device, in the case the phone doesn’t work :(. At least I won’t die of dehydration.
3. A big pot. I can use it to cook food, carry things, and, in the event of enemy attack (e.g. bears?), I can throw it and/or hit it to make noise and scare them off. Multi-functional!