Columnist, Global Justice
New York, NY
Michelle Chen is Colorlines' Global Justice columnist. She is a regular contributor on labor issues at In These Times, as well as a member of the magazine's Board of Editors. Michelle's reporting has appeared in Ms. Magazine, AirAmerica, Alternet, Newsday, the Progressive Media Project, and her old zine, cain. Prior to joining Colorlines, she wrote for the independent news collective The NewStandard. A native New Yorker, she has also conducted ethnographic research as a Fulbright fellow in Shanghai and checked coats at a West Village jazz club. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the City University of New York and co-producing the community radio program Asia Pacific Forum on Pacifica's WBAI.
Follow Michelle at @meeshellchen.
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Is Environmental Injustice Morphing Little Girls’ Bodies?
by Michelle Chen on August 10 2010, 1:27PM
The latest research suggests an array of social and environmental factors may be causing girls bodies to develop prematurely, especially girls of color.
Topics: Environment, Health, On Gender
Study: “Marriage Promotion” in Welfare Doesn’t Work
by Michelle Chen on August 10 2010, 9:00AM
Yet, even as we shred the social safety net, there’s always new money for magical thinking about “family values” as a way to combat poverty.
Topics: On Gender
New York Ends Prison Gerrymandering
by Michelle Chen on August 9 2010, 9:01AM
A New York bill would bar counties from using census data to inflate their population numbers with prison headcounts.
Topics: Criminal Justice
Hate-Crime Sentence and Ruling on Marriage Cross a Spectrum of Justice
by Michelle Chen on August 7 2010, 9:32AM
A hate-crime killing and Judge Walker’s ruling speak to a spectrum of inequality from the county courthouse to a Brooklyn street.
Topics: Immigration, On Gender
For ICE Prisons, a Blank One-Year Progress Report
by Michelle Chen on August 6 2010, 10:45AM
Today marks one year since ICE promised to fix the detention system. So far, there’s little to celebrate.
Topics: Immigration, On Gender
Cold Cases: Murder in L.A. and the Value of Black Life
by Michelle Chen on August 5 2010, 10:28AM
Serial killings in L.A. reveal a sense that violence against black women is more tolerable, more expected, less deserving of punishment.
Topics: Gender & Sexuality, On Gender
Marriage Equality Without Borders: Prop 8 and Immigration
by Michelle Chen on August 5 2010, 6:30AM
The Prop 8 ruling could change the meaning of the right to marry for couples facing other social barriers, including immigrants and people of color.
Social Security Threats Creep Up on Communities of Color
by Michelle Chen on August 4 2010, 9:58AM
Privatization whispers are circulating again. That’s particularly bad news for people of color heading into their sunset years.
NYC Muslim Center Clears Ground Zero Hurdle, Finally
by Michelle Chen on August 3 2010, 7:24PM
It’s been a long, ugly debate.
Topics: Mosque Mania
Time Pictures Afghan Women, Obscures Realities of Endless War
by Michelle Chen on August 3 2010, 10:22AM
Just plaster a disfigured female victim on the cover, and presto—instant war morale!
Topics: Global Affairs, Media, On Gender
BP’s Dumping Oil-Spill Waste in Communities of Color, Study Finds
by Michelle Chen on August 3 2010, 8:39AM
More than half of BP’s sites for disposing of cleaned-up oil and waste are in places where the majority of residents are of color.
Topics: Environment, On Gender
Indian Country Wins Power to Fight Sexual Assault
by Michelle Chen on August 2 2010, 9:30AM
Native women are more than twice as likely to get assaulted, and 9 out of 10 attackers are non-native.
Topics: Criminal Justice, On Gender
by Michelle Chen on July 23 2010, 8:32AM
I’ll be away next week, traveling in Shanghai, among other places, so this blog will be dormant until early August. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the new Colorlines and send us your feedback….
Topics: On Gender
Sick Neighborhoods Create Barriers to Health for Men of Color
by Michelle Chen on July 22 2010, 2:25PM
Exploring community wellness as a collective whole, we see a grim prognosis emerging from the social systems surrounding Black and Latino men and boys.
by Michelle Chen on July 21 2010, 7:20PM
On public radio, we’ve been hearing a lot about how Black people and water don’t mix. Or more precisely, why so many Black people don’t swim.
Asylum System May Open Door for Femicide Survivors
by Michelle Chen on July 21 2010, 9:02AM
A narrow window to humanitarian relief could be opening in the for survivors of femicide in the U.S. asylum system.
Topics: Global Affairs, On Gender
House Bill Would Serve Kids Healthier Food at Schools
by Michelle Chen on July 20 2010, 11:28AM
The bill isn’t the comprehensive answer, but it does reflect a broader perspective on the link between children’s health and what we put on their plates.
Topics: Health, On Gender, Schools & Youth
Prison System Chains Women in Childbirth
by Michelle Chen on July 20 2010, 10:30AM
In many places around the country, it’s still legal to keep incarcerated women shackled while they go through labor.
Topics: Criminal Justice, Gender & Sexuality, On Gender
White House Bans Abortion Coverage in New High-Risk Pools
by Michelle Chen on July 20 2010, 8:00AM
And women of color are most likely to pay the price. Reproductive justice advocates are asking people to write the administration and demand better.
Topics: Obama Abortion Ban, On Gender
Obama’s Immigration Enforcement a Carbon Copy of Bush’s
by Michelle Chen on July 19 2010, 1:45PM
A year and a half into his presidency, Obama has reached a new low on immigration enforcement. Or rather, a new high.
Topics: Immigration
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