Russell Leong


Russell Charles Leong is an academic editor, professor, writer, and long-time Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan student. The long-time editor of Amerasia Journal, he was an adjunct professor of English and Asian-American studies at University of California, Los Angeles and currently serves as senior editor for international projects.

Early life

Leong was born Chinatown, San Francisco. Leong attended local Chinese and American schools where his English teachers and family encouraged him to write.
In 1972, he got his B.A. from San Francisco State University, where he took one of the first Asian/American writing classes from Jeffery Paul Chan. Linking art with social and political activism for Asian-Americans, Leong participated in the Kearny Street Workshop. From 1973 to 1974, Leong studied at the National Taiwan University before earning an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990.

Career

From 2012–2013, Leong was Dr. Thomas Tam Visiting Professor at Hunter College, CUNY in New York City.
Leong is also the editor and project coordinator for the U.S.-China media brief.
In 2015, Leong published "Mothsutra: for bicycle delivery men New York", a visual graphic portfolio of his poetry and drawings. "Moth" was performed at the Bowery Poetry Club NYC and at the City University of New York's Asian American Research Institute. It will be published as an e-book by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center.

Personal life

Leong is openly gay.
Leong has a "life is war" ideology representing his dislike towards the academic community. He would like to see himself more as an activist than an academic. Leong's religious views relate most strongly to Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism applies to many aspects of his life including relationships and writing. He agrees with the accepting nature of Buddhism and finds it a strong, but not oppressive set of values to incorporate in daily life.

Full Oeuvre

Selected Works