Jace Chen

Chinese language policies, movement towards linguistic unification, and recent studies in dialect usage indicate that most Chinese dialects are becoming placeless. That the spaces to speak dialects are rapidly diminishing. This project will be one that carves out space for it. One not interested in the described inevitability of dialect death, but in the vitality and breadth of Shanghainese, the dialect my family and I speak, and how it can also hold memory. Through closely reading and engaging with oral history interviews conducted with my grandmother, the linguistic, literary, and metaphoric all reveal the dimensions of this space that our language inhabits and creates paths back to it, allowing language and memory to be continually revisited, reanimated, and resensitized.

Chen-Thesis-Final-FINAL

Jace (they/them) was born and raised in New York. They received their BA from NYU in 2022, where they majored in comparative literature with a minor in linguistics. Through their studies, they developed a strong interest in the intersection of history and language. And how there are historical influences to why we say what we say, hidden implications in the words we choose, and regional influences on the cadence and rhythm at which we speak.

Storytelling has always been a point of interest for them. During college, they founded a multimedia publication called Pier To with a fellow classmate. Their mission statement revolved around amplifying and uplifting their generation’s voices through person-first narratives. After a year, the publication had a team of around 40 staff members who worked on marketing, digital development, print development, and literary and creative editors/curators. Pier To concluded with the release of its print issue, which showcased a diverse range of original works from around 20 artists.