Yiou (Max) Yang

Pronouns: she/they
Email: yiouy@usc.edu
Advisor: Akira Mizuta Lippit

Yiou (Max) Yang is a first-year MA student in the USC CaMS program. Max Yang’s research explores how China’s queer community navigates socio-political landscapes. The term Ku’er, a phonetic adaptation of “queer,” captures an evolving yet contested space for queer identities in China. Max’s work examines how “queerness” functions both as a critical lens and a site of resistance, challenging entrenched hetero-patriarchal ‘normativity’ within restrictive cultural frameworks. Max holds a BFA in Photography from ArtCenter College of Design and an MS in Arts Administration from USC. Max’s academic and professional experiences reflect a commitment to bridging gaps in queer studies, particularly regarding the younger generation’s evolving expressions and experiences in China. While some scholars have explored queerness within Chinese socio-political contexts, Max’s work aims to spotlight the emerging influence of queer cultural movements like Voguing Shanghai. These cultural expressions serve as acts of resistance within a censored and conservative environment, questioning the dominant cultural narrative upheld by existing power structures. With a focus on transnational and intersectional perspectives, Max’s work also seeks to document and preserve the lived experiences and evolving identities of China’s queer communities, to present expressions of diverse identities without resorting to stereotypical or clichéd portrayals.