Casey Mecija is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at LA&PS. Her research focuses on sounds made by and around Filipinx diaspora to theorize a “queer sound” that pervades diasporic sensibilities. Queer sound, according to her, challenges the abjection of the Filipinx body, to demonstrate how the sensorial and affective remainders of sound help create diasporic community. Her work suggests that multi-media production enables diasporic people to create forms of belonging that defy racialized ascriptions born from racism, colonialism, and their gendered dimensions.

"My research adheres to an ethics of listening that opens us up to the complex power dynamics that configure a sound in a time and place. Perhaps, this form of listening and feeling can create opportunities to be more empathic with one another and enliven potentials for solidarity".

Mecija also co-leads dias:stories, a community research group that promotes stories about Southeast Asian diaspora. Dias:stories is funded by SSHRC and developed in collaboration with researchers and artists from the Public Visualization lab at OCAD and York University. She was a lead on FilipiNEXT, a recent SSHRC-funded workshop on Filipinx Studies in Canada.

Connect with Casey Mecija to learn more about her research and collaborations.