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Justin Chan

@jchan1109.bsky.social
44 followers 27 following 24 posts

Editorial Director @ Innocence Project | Advancing Meaningful Change Through Impact-Driven Narratives | 15+ Years in Digital Storytelling My Substack: unhyphenated.substack.com t.crdtg2.com/331727/5165?aff_sub5=S…

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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
How do you balance between living two heritages when the dominant environment can feel hostile? In my latest Substack essay, I explore the challenges of the Asian American experience — and why it's less about victimization and more about survival. unhyphenated.substack.com/p/the-cost-o...
unhyphenated.substack.com
The Cost of Our ‘Original Sin’
When being bicultural comes with a catch-22.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
This month offered every reason to celebrate, from a historic Knicks win to World Cup joy. But outside of sports, painful events involving anti-Blackness delivered a hard reality check. Latest Substack here: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/after-the-...
unhyphenated.substack.com
After the Stadium Lights Go Down
Reflecting on a month full of sports-related euphoria and the quiet, simultaneous crises facing our communities.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
The Knicks are 2 wins away from ending a 53-year championship drought. As a native New Yorker, I had to write about it: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/an-apology...
unhyphenated.substack.com
An Apology to My Readers (And Why the Knicks Are to Blame)
It’s a great time to be alive in New York.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Have you ever traded an uncomfortable truth just to keep up with appearances? In my latest Substack, I dive into what "saving face" means for the Asian American community, and what it takes to break the cycle. Read more: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/when-the-w...
unhyphenated.substack.com
When the Weight of Appearances Is Too Heavy to Carry
A closer look at how the pressure to look perfect for others is holding us back.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Asian cuisine is celebrated in the US, but a class divide dictates which cultures get "prestige." My latest essay explores fine dining's impact on cultural authenticity, and why supporting local mom-and-pop shops matters more than chasing Michelin stars. unhyphenated.substack.com/p/what-we-ch...
unhyphenated.substack.com
What We Choose to Celebrate in Asian and Pacific Islander Cuisine
Not all soulful culinary experiences need to come with a Michelin star.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
For a long time, I saw AAPI history as a side story. But the disconnect between our "lived realities" and the American Dream usually comes down to one thing: how we see our history. My latest essay on reclaiming the narrative: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/when-histo...
unhyphenated.substack.com
When History Doesn't Land the Same Way at Home
The cost of not learning Asian American history
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
I spent years making my Chinese heritage "palatable" for others. From Saran-wrapped remotes to "smelly" lunches, I was my own harshest editor. But I'm officially retiring the cultural tax. Inclusion is about being understood, not digestible. New essay: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/not-everyt...
unhyphenated.substack.com
Not Everything Needs an Explanation
Lessons in not giving a damn from the neighborhood aunts and uncles.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
For years, I kept chasing “enough” without ever defining it—through side gigs, overwork, and sacrificing time with family. A difficult conversation forced me to reassess. New essay on hustle culture, scarcity, and rethinking what matters: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/when-enoug...
unhyphenated.substack.com
When ‘Enough’ Is Enough
A guide to feeling stable without being miserable.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
What does money mean to you? I inherited a scarcity mindset without understanding why. It took a serious relationship to start reshaping it. New essay on money, culture, and finding independence: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/how-i-lear...
unhyphenated.substack.com
How I Learned About Money — Without Ever Really Talking About It
Inherited habits, cultural pressure, and the search for financial agency.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
I always thought being born here was enough. As the Supreme Court debates birthright citizenship, that certainty is starting to unravel. I wrote about what it means to belong when even that isn’t guaranteed: open.substack.com/pub/unhyphen...
open.substack.com
What Does It Mean to Belong at This Point?
Attacks on birthright citizenship raise larger questions about where Asian Americans fit in this country.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
What does “Asian American identity” actually mean — and who defines it? I started my Substack to tell stories across our communities. But finding common ground isn’t easy when our experiences are so different. Read more: unhyphenated.substack.com/p/when-we-ta...
unhyphenated.substack.com
When We Talk About Identity, Who Are We Actually Reaching?
Why it’s tough being an Asian American writer.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
If you still have your mom around, take a moment to thank her. In my latest Substack, I reflect on my mother’s quiet sacrifices, the expectations she carried, and my journey to become a better son by making space for the parts of herself she rarely shares. unhyphenated.substack.com/p/we-dont-ap...
unhyphenated.substack.com
We Don’t Appreciate Our Mothers Enough
When was the last time you asked your mother what she wanted?
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Reposted by Justin Chan
The Innocence Project @innocenceproject.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
DNA testing has helped overturn 560 convictions since 2000. People with innocence claims should be allowed to have the DNA evidence in their cases tested before it’s too late. Read more: bit.ly/4lCJ6WP
bit.ly
Missouri Man Wanted DNA Test to Prove Innocence. Then he was Executed.
A man on death row wanted DNA on evidence in his case tested. He was executed before the court made a ruling.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
After 15+ years in journalism and nonprofit comms, you’d think communicating at work would come naturally to me. It doesn’t. Growing up in a Cantonese-speaking household shaped how I think about tone and delivery — and led to years of code-switching. Read more open.substack.com/pub/unhyphen...
open.substack.com
I’m Fluent in English, So Why Do I Feel Like I Need to Edit Every Sentence at Work?
Living with a Cantonese brain and an English mouth
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
In my latest Substack essay, I reflect on growing up with immigrant parents who valued acts of service over words of affirmation — and what I’m trying to unlearn as I raise my daughter. Parents, I’d especially love your thoughts! open.substack.com/pub/unhyphen...
open.substack.com
Softening the Edges: What I'm Unlearning About Love
Being a father has made me do a lot of soul-searching.
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Reposted by Justin Chan
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 20/02/2026
Few American writers have proved so alluring to the censors as Toni Morrison. What made her one of our greatest — and most dangerous — novelists was her belief that stories could contain what our minds couldn’t confront, writes the critic Parul Sehgal. nyti.ms/4kW9bQ7
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
What will it take for Asian Americans to speak up without fear of sabotaging our careers? In my latest Substack essay, I reflect on silence, complicity, and why taking a stand on human rights matters — even when it’s uncomfortable. unhyphenated.substack.com/p/between-si...
unhyphenated.substack.com
Between Silence and Success: Who Benefits When Asian Americans Stay Quiet?
How long do we let the systems that reward our silence keep us in line?
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Chinese culture is trending on TikTok. Chinese Americans are still treated like outsiders. I launched Unhyphenated to challenge that. First essay is live — read it, subscribe, join the conversation. unhyphenated.substack.com/p/america-lo...
unhyphenated.substack.com
America Loves a “Very Chinese Time” — Until It Doesn’t.
A geopolitical obsession. A human fallout.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
In New York, the governor has proposed enshrining qualified immunity into state law. Doing so would impede accountability and shield misconduct. Join us in taking action against this proposal.
innocenceproject.org
New York Must Reject Qualified Immunity — and Pass S176/A1402 - Innocence Project
Qualified immunity is a judicial doctrine that shields public officials from liability for misconduct, even when they break the law.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Seventy years after he was wrongly executed, Tommy Lee Walker has finally been declared innocent.
innocenceproject.org
Tommy Lee Walker Declared Innocent 70 Years After His Execution
Dallas County Commissioners Court posthumously proclaimed Mr. Walker’s innocence in the 1954 racially-fueled capital murder case.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
While many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions, here’s one resolution that contributes to real, lasting change year-round: supporting the Innocence Project as a monthly donor: innocenceproject.org/news/five-re...
innocenceproject.org
Five Reasons to Become a Monthly Donor With the Innocence Project - Innocence Project
Your ongoing support makes an impact to help free the innocent and transform justice.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
What happens when a wrongly convicted person is finally freed? In our latest brand anthem “What I Didn’t Know,” three clients reveal the challenges of re-entering a completely changed world — and the strength needed for the everyday moments many of us overlook. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt_p...
youtube.com
What I Didn't Know
YouTube video by innocenceproject
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
This year, our policy team did tremendous work to reveal, address, and prevent wrongful convictions — including passing Indiana’s first-ever eyewitness identification reform and fighting back against efforts in NY and Texas to roll back discovery laws. innocenceproject.org/news/the-bre...
innocenceproject.org
The Breakthrough Policy Wins We Secured That Shaped 2025 - Innocence Project
Motivated by the work of Innocence Project’s tenacious policy team, states took meaningful steps in 2025 to make the system fairer and more accountable.
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Reposted by Justin Chan
The Innocence Project @innocenceproject.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Anna Vasquez was wrongfully convicted and served 13 years for a crime that never occurred before she was exonerated, thanks to the Innocence Project of Texas. For many like her, the @innocencenetwork.bsky.social conference brings community. Support it via this GoFundMe. bit.ly/4rIpAuF
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
This week, we launched a collaboration with the Tennessee Innocence Project and Nashville-based coffee company Bongo Java Roasting Co.! Every purchase helps our fight against wrongful convictions. Learn more by clicking the link below: innocenceproject.org/grounds-for-...
innocenceproject.org
‘Grounds for Innocence’: A Black History Month Collaboration with Bongo Java Roasting Co. - Innocence Project
The Innocence Project, Tennessee Innocence Project, and Nashville’s oldest coffee company, Bongo Java, unite to support the innocence movement.
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Reposted by Justin Chan
The Innocence Project @innocenceproject.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
No matter the politics of the moment, we doubled down on fairness, accuracy, and accountability in the administration of the criminal legal system. Today is no different, writes @innocenceproject.bsky.social executive director @christinaswarns.bsky.social. innocenceproject.org/were-keeping...
innocenceproject.org
We're Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize
No matter the politics of the moment, we doubled down on fairness, accuracy, reliability, and accountability in the administration of the criminal legal system. Today is no different.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
Our client, Scott Minton, was officially exonerated this week after enduring three decades of wrongful imprisonment in Tennessee. Congrats to our incredible legal team and the Tennessee Innocence Project for their tireless work to secure his freedom!
innocenceproject.org
Scott Minton Is Exonerated in Tennessee After Three Decades
Scott Minton was wrongly convicted despite 18 alibi witnesses corroborating his whereabouts.
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Justin Chan @jchan1109.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
In our series,"Homecoming: Rebuilding a Life After Wrongful Conviction," five recently exonerated people share what life was like before their wrongful conviction and what it means now to return to a world that has dramatically changed since their wrongful incarceration.
innocenceproject.org
No Place Like Home: Five Exonerees Reflect on Life Before and After Wrongful Conviction - Innocence Project
One hundred and four years. That’s the staggering amount of time stolen from just five of our recently exonerated clients.
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Reposted by Justin Chan
Christina Swarns @christinaswarns.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
It’s been an amazing year for the Innocence Project. And we are so grateful for everyone who partnered with us! Please take a moment and check out what we accomplished in 2024. report2024.innocenceproject.org
report2024.innocenceproject.org
My Liberty Depends on You Being Free, Too: Innocence Project's 2024 Annual Report
In FY24, we exonerated seven clients, secured 15 legislative victories, and significantly grew our reach. Learn more about our achievements.
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