“At first, writing in English felt like wearing someone else’s clothes, awkward to my skin, but like a piece of kneading dough entering a cake mold, I grew to fit it over time.”
Born and raised in Southern China, Ching Ching Tan's American journey began with studying ESL at community colleges. Today, she's a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at San Jose State University, teaching public speaking for English learners and interpersonal communication.
Ching Ching holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and is currently working on her debut memoir. Her personal essays and OpEds have found homes in New England Review, CNN, HuffPost, SFWP, Visible Magazine, and Canyon Voices Magazine, among others. Her writing explores themes of cultural identity, language, and the immigrant experience in America. In 2023, her essay "How Do I Explain Myself," published in New England Review, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
When she's not in the classroom or at her writing desk, Ching Ching enjoys yoga and taking long walks. She lives with her husband and her son in San Jose, California.
Stay in the loop!
Get quick updates from me when new work is published.