Jo Hsu Oral History (They/Them)- January 24, 2023

The interview covers Jo Hsu's experiences as a queer, non-binary Asian-American graduate student at Penn State University. Jo Hsu discusses the challenges of navigating academic spaces as a person of color and LGBTQ individual, the lack of community and support for their chronic illness and disability, and the overall isolation they felt during their time at Penn State. Jo Hsu also reflects on the need for Penn State to undergo a structural overhaul to better support and uplift marginalized voices and identities, including through targeted hiring and resource allocation. Overall, the interview provides a nuanced perspective on the experiences of a queer, disabled person of color in a predominantly white and heteronormative academic environment.

The Queer and Trans Oral History Collection includes diverse narratives of past and present students and faculty at Penn State University. This compilation of oral history interviews illuminates the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ communities within the institution from the 1960s through the early 2020s. These personal accounts detail a range of LGBTQIA+ experiences including activism, survival, successes, and challenges.  These oral history recordings were created as part of The Queer and Trans oral history project in The Pennsylvania State's Special Collections Library, led by Cora Butcher-Spellman.  The Queer and Trans oral history project was made possible thanks to the Candace and Patrick E. Malloy Graduate Assistantship in the University Archives.  This project title reflects our current understanding of the interviews. We understand identities develop over time.