Katie Bui

Katie Bui (she/they) is a lecturer in Asian American Studies, with an M.A. in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in Asian American Studies and a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Science from UC Santa Barbara. Interested in topics of identity construction and cultural production in Vietnamese American communities, her research centers on the critical study of Vietnamese Culture Nights, a phenomenon of culture show productions across North America in which students write, direct, and perform a script, interwoven with aspects like dancing, singing, and spoken word. Her work in academia goes hand-in-hand with her work in her community.

As a Vietnamese American raised in south Orange County, Katie struggled to reconcile her Vietnamese and American identities throughout childhood and adolescence. For this reason, she values her community and the space they provide for her to exist as she is. She is at her best when with others. For others, she continually strives to hold space and encourage those around her to be inclusive, empathetic, and understanding. Her community work is representative of this. Working with organizations like the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN), the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (UNAVSA), and the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA), she enjoys planning and executing programming for her communities. She is looking forward to bringing that skillset to San Diego State University.