Reanne Zheng
Reanne Zheng is PhD Candidate of the Department of History and 1 of 12 Graduate Students who was awarded a Conference Travel Grant by CEAPS in 2026. From April 2nd to April 4th, Reanne used her Conference Travel Grant to visit Honolulu, Hawaii to attend the Association for Asian American Studies Conference to present her project "Entanglements in Imperial Economies: Chinese American Labor Potential in the Late 19th Century." Here is a Q&A segment from CEAPS' interview with Reanne Zheng:
Q: What does this opportunity mean to you personally and academically?
As a historian, I am invested in the larger field of Asian American Studies but am overall not as familiar with research that explores more contemporary issues. This was my first time attending this conference, and it was an amazing opportunity to learn from those in the field whose work informs my own research and life experiences.
Q: What is your research or project about, and how would you explain it to a general audience?
My paper for this conference examined the roles of the Six Companies (a group of Chinese community leaders) in San Francisco's Chinatown. I discussed the ways in which they advocated for their community and acted as negotiators with the local government.
Q: What was the best part of your conference and travel?
The best part was being amongst my peers who are dedicated to the same issues I am trying to address through my work, in a location that has been so central to Asian American history.