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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States Cracking Down on Modern Slavery in the U.S.
by Michelle Chen on July 19 2010, 8:02AM
Human-trafficking legislation is gaining momentum, and targeting modern-day slavery is a critical issue, but it’s in some ways low-hanging fruit.
Topics: Immigration, On Gender
Passport Flap Keeps Iroquois Out of World Lacrosse Championships
by Michelle Chen on July 17 2010, 6:31AM
The travel restrictions that barred the Iroquois team from a major tournament in England marked the limitations, and the vitality, of tribal sovereignty.
Topics: Global Affairs
Crab Industry Workers Reveal Injustice of ‘Legal’ Migrant Labor
by Michelle Chen on July 16 2010, 10:13AM
Government-sanctioned exploitation in the crab industry shows why rights activists balk at the concept of guestworker programs.
Topics: On Gender
Tempers Explode Over Ground Zero Islamic Center
by Michelle Chen on July 15 2010, 11:01AM
How did an otherwise mundane hearing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission disintegrate into a Muslim-bashing fest?
Topics: Mosque Mania
No Free Pill Yet Under New Healthcare Regulations
by Michelle Chen on July 15 2010, 9:40AM
From a reproductive justice standpoint, birth control isn’t just a women’s issue but an issue of racial and socioeconomic equity as well.
Topics: Obama Abortion Ban, On Gender
Will Obama’s AIDS Plan Reach Out to Black Women?
by Michelle Chen on July 14 2010, 10:10AM
In Obama’s new HIV/AIDS plan, it’s crucial to channel resources into research, prevention, education and treatment for the most vulnerable.
Topics: On Gender
Sexual Assault Left Out of Military’s PTSD Reform
by Michelle Chen on July 14 2010, 8:21AM
New regulations for reviewing veterans’ PTSD claims offer little comfort for military women who have survived sexual trauma.
Topics: On Gender
In Haiti, a Miami Transplant Seeks New Horizons
by Michelle Chen on July 13 2010, 1:33PM
Shooby Leroy Jean-Pierre finds despair and opportunity in earthquake-stricken Leogane.
Topics: Global Affairs, Haiti, Immigration
“Culture” Cop-Out Won’t Stop Rape in Eastern Congo
by Michelle Chen on July 13 2010, 9:36AM
The brutal war in eastern Congo has become synonymous with rape as a military tactic. Sensationalism combines with subrosa racism to dull the international response.
Topics: Global Affairs, On Gender
Stereotype: Debunked. Latinos Are MORE Progressive on Gender
by Michelle Chen on July 12 2010, 1:00PM
A survey finds Latinos out ahead in opinions about women in the workforce and family structures.
Topics: On Gender
The Women of Haiti Still in Rubble
by Michelle Chen on July 12 2010, 9:37AM
Today marks one half year since an earthquake flattened Port-au-Prince. The women of Haiti are still lost in the wreckage. The human rights of women in post-quake Haiti have been a barometer of injustice in the international response to the…
UK Says Gay Asylum Seekers Can Come Out of the Closet
by Michelle Chen on July 9 2010, 4:45PM
The UK Supreme Court struck down a draconian policy of questioning LGBT asylum seekers on whether they might avoid persecution back home by hiding their sexuality.
Topics: On Gender
The Coming Fight Over Paying for the Pill
by Michelle Chen on July 8 2010, 12:32PM
Advocates for reproductive rights are bracing for a battle with social conservatives as they push to make health insurers offer contraceptives for free.
Topics: Obama Abortion Ban, On Gender
Haitian Moms Still Need Health Care
by Michelle Chen on July 7 2010, 1:05PM
Families may still be struggling for food and shelter after the earthquake, but their need for everyday preventive health care is no less profound.
Topics: Global Affairs, Haiti, On Gender
N.Y. Domestic Workers First in Nation to Win Labor Rights
by Michelle Chen on July 6 2010, 11:41AM
The nation’s first law protecting the rights of domestic workers brings dignity and peace of mind to an estimated 200,000 nannies, housekeepers and other home-based workers.
Topics: On Gender
Expanding the Dialogue on Race and Gender
by Michelle Chen on June 24 2010, 8:18PM
Welcome to my new blog, On Gender. Thanks for stopping by. As we move into the new incarnation of Colorlines.com, we’ve been thinking about how to balance and broaden our editorial mix. A focus on gender and race has emerged…
Topics: On Gender
Wisc. Law Fouls Out American Indian Team Names
by Michelle Chen on June 24 2010, 12:35PM
Look around an average college campus today and you might notice that Native Americans are surprisingly well represented. Sure, people of native descent make up just a tiny part of the college and university student population. But there are plenty…
Topics: Schools & Youth
No End in Sight for Foreclosures
by Michelle Chen on June 23 2010, 7:47AM
The recession still has more damage to do. And a new Center for Responsible Lending report says Black and Latino homeowners will continue feeling the worst of it.
Topics: Economy
Slave Trade Still Part of U.S. Labor Market
by Michelle Chen on June 22 2010, 10:35AM
Media reports often focus on dramatic narratives of young girls lured into prostitution. Government data suggests it’s more like adults in hotel work and home health care.
Topics: Immigration
Pregnant Women Dying in New York
by Michelle Chen on June 21 2010, 11:58AM
This year, maternal health advocates got the heartening news that the death rate of women in childbirth was declining worldwide, while the rate of child survival was improving ahead of earlier projections. But while the epidemic of maternal and child…
Topics: Health
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