Lian Thang
Class of 2025: History/International Comparative Studies Major, Asian American Diaspora Studies Minor
Pronouns: he/him
Current research project: By examining the intimate transnational intersections between displacement and resettlement, this project (a) investigates and records how Chin refugees form(ed) communities in Michigan, Indiana, and California through oral history, (b) situates the Chin people's history within Myanmar’s historical contexts "post-independence" (post-1948), (c) uses various archives to delineate the Chin people's history before and after 1948, and (d) interprets community history via frameworks of class, race, and religion.
How he got involved in research: I became involved in research at Duke through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship because I wanted to investigate my family's history of forced displacement from Myanmar and resettlement in the United States. I was moved by questions about why refugees were seen as pitiful, problematic objects. I wanted to learn more about how critical refugee studies can be a tool for transforming how refugees are understood and rendered legible in media, academia, and elsewhere. Finally, conducting oral histories and archival research have been pivotal toward understanding the Chin people's history and making sense of my family's journey as refugees.