
My name is Annie Tan, and I am a special education teacher, storyteller, writer, and activist based in Chinatown, New York. The first thing people notice about me is my warmth and enthusiasm: I have a lot to say, hence my nickname “Annie Tangent.” I focus on issues around growing up Asian American and as a kid of immigrants, teaching, teachers unions and public education, and organizing for a better world. My work has been featured in The New York Times, Huffington Post, The New Republic, PBS’ Asian Americans, and twice on The Moth Radio Hour. I am currently working on my first book, a memoir and hope one day to write an epic book about my family and Asian American history.
I am available for speaking engagements and storytelling events. I keynoted the Museum of the City of New York’s “Teaching Social Activism” Conference in May 2019, have performed as a storyteller and speaker with the Moth Mainstage and other shows, and I have also hosted shows and fundraisers. As a full-time special education teacher, I speak outside regular school hours.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram at annietangent. To contact me, email at annietangent@gmail.com or fill out my contact form!
Selected Media

Stories
Listen to Annie’s Stories:
- RISK! “Allegiance” (16:50) as featured on the episode “Bringing To Light” (Feb. 2021, 52:58)
- The Moth Radio Hour: “Drumstick, Please” (7:30) as featured on the episode “Play it Again, SLAM” (July 2020, 50:54)
- The Moth Radio Hour: “Remembering Vincent” (11:05) as featured on the episode “Squeaky Wheels” (October 2018, 50:58)
- Immigration Stories Podcast: “Annie Tan on living fully in her two worlds” (Oct 2019, 41:37)
- Love Hurts Podcast: “Jook-sing” (Oct 2018, 36:05)
Watch Annie’s Stories:
- Unreeling Storytelling Show: “Putting Myself First For Once” (Oct. 24, 2020, 11:59)
- Crushing The Myth: “Bringing Solidarity Back Home” (Sept. 3, 2020, 12:18)
- Speech at Rally Opposing Unsafe NYC School Reopening (Aug 20, 2020, 6:33)
- Crushing The Myth: “How I Got My Asian American Groove Back” (Aug 2019, 10:55)
- 80 Minutes Around the World Immigration Stories: “Bringing Corey to Dinner” (Dec 2019, 9:29)
- 80 Minutes Around the World Immigration Stories: “Coming and Going Home” (Sep 2018, 15:27)
- The WOW Project: “The Smelliest Block in NYC” (May 2017, 8:49)

Interviews
Watch Interviews with Annie:
- Novus Club: “Annie Tan – Teacher, Activist, Storyteller” (Jan. 25, 2021, 43:06)
- PIX 11 NY: “Teachers union surveying members on state of NYC schools” (Dec. 15, 2020, 02:21)
- CNN: “NYC Teachers Fear Schools Are Not Ready to Safely Reopen” (Sept. 14, 2020, 05:38)
- CNN: “NYC teachers protest school reopenings with mock caskets and skeletons” (Aug. 26, 2020, 03:25)
- Fox 5 NY: “Teachers in NYC asking for donations to buy PPE, cleaning supplies” (Aug. 19, 2020, 02:39)
- NBC Nightly News: “Parties At Reopened Colleges Increase Fears Of Coronavirus Outbreaks” (August 16, 2020, interview with Annie starting 0:32)
- AJ+: “Teachers Fear For Their Safety As The Fall Term Looms” (Aug. 14, 2020, 02:03)
- PBS’ “Asian Americans“: “It Reminds Me I Have a Legacy To Live Up To” (YouTube link) (May 12, 2020, 4:10)
- The China Current: “My Cousin Vincent” (Aug. 14, 2020, 07:02)
- NYCAASC 2020 New York City Asian American Students Conference Keynote Speaker (April 25, 2020, starts 15:10, ends 40:10)
- The China Current: “A lot of people left New York’s Chinatown after 9/11” (Oct 2019, 05:16)
- Sunset Park Stories with Betty Yu: “Annie Tan” (Sep 2018, 03:14)
- NYC Opt Out: Advocating for Fair Admissions Policy Post-COVID (Jun 12, 2020)
Listen to Interviews with Annie:
- The Reluctant Phoenix: “Episode 5: Annie Tan” (Nov. 23, 2020, 42:39)
- Plum Radio Podcast: “Ep. 22: Back to School With No Nurses, Ventilation, or Wi-Fi, ft. Annie Tan” (Sept. 23, 2020, 1:16:32)
- Belabored: “Is It Safe to Go Back To School?” (Sept. 18, 2020, starting 1:00:00)
- The EaTing Cast: “Creating Your Own Legacy w/ Annie Tan” (Sept. 14, 2020, 1:22:18)
- Reply Guys: “Solidarity September with Annie Tan” (Sept. 2, 2020, 1:22:07)
- Talk Out Of Schools, WBAI 99.5FM: “NYC K-20 Faculty Organizing for Health Justice & Against Racism, Austerity & Job Cuts” (Aug. 2020, starting at 29:25, ending 37:20)
- The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast: “Surviving to Educate w/ Annie Tan” (Aug. 2020, 1:31:23)
- Warriors of Education Podcast: “Conversations with Annie Tan: Activist, Teacher, and Storyteller” (May 2020, 35:33)
- Activist NYC Podcast: “Annie Tan” (Apr 2020, 55:05)
- Plum Radio Podcast: “Different Skin, Same Blood ft. Annie Tan” (Apr 2020, 42:48)
- Class Time with Kenzo Shibata Podcast: “That Goddamn Racist Biden Ad with Annie Tan, Jaya Sundaresh, and Samuel Kao” (Apr 2020, 1:16:44)
- Class Time with Kenzo Shibata Podcast: “Model Minority Race Traitors w Annie Tan and Samuel Kao” (Dec 2019, 48:16)
- Immigrantly Podcast: “It’s Up to Us to Tell Our Stories” (Feb 2020, 50:52)
- Fish Out of Agua with Michele Carlo Podcast: “feat. Annie Tan” (Jan 2019, 59:31)

The New York Times
Articles
Articles featuring Annie:
- The New Republic: “I’m a Teacher in New York. I’m Doing My Job by Fighting an Unsafe Reopening.” (August 5, 2020)
- The Intercept: “Teachers Expect UFT To Vote On Whether To Authorize A Strike Over School Reopening” (August 28, 2020)
- Nichi Bei: “Teachers, students feel impact of the coronavirus pandemic” (August 27, 2020)
- Columbia College Today: “Activist Annie Tan ’11 Is Speaking Up for Asian Americans” (Summer 2020)
- The New Republic: “I’m Teaching From Home and Don’t Know How Long We Can Keep This Up” (May 5, 2020)
- New York Times: “Racist? Fair? Biased? Asian-American Alumni Debate Elite High School Admissions” (February 6, 2019)
- deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider’s Blog: “Annie Tan: My First-Year Disaster with Teach for America” (May 27, 2020)
- Labor Notes: “Interview: Coronavirus Pandemic Inflames Anti-Asian Racism” (April 6, 2020)
- Truthout: “School Shutdown in Chicago Underscores Attacks on Public Education Nationwide” (April 1, 2016)
- Diversity in Ed Magazine: “Julian Vasquez Heilig and Annie Tan: Uncloaking Inequity” (Fall 2015)
Articles Authored by Annie:
- Huffington Post: “Peter Liang Was Justly Convicted. He’s Not A Victim” by Annie Tan (February 23, 2016)
- Black Lives Matter At Schools NYC: “Practicing the Intergenerational Work” by Annie Tan for (January 23, 2018)
- NYC Opt Out: Testimonials Advocating for Fair Admissions Policy Post-COVID (June 17, 2020)
- Edutopia: “Why I’ll Keep Teaching, Despite the Hardships” by Annie Tan (October 31, 2016)
- Fred Klonsky’s Blog: “I Don’t Want To Be Pushed Out” by Annie Tan (February 6, 2016)
- Wanderlustingk: “Your insider guide to New York’s Chinatown by a native New Yorker” (December 18, 2019)
Speaking Engagements

Photo: Dave Jeffers, for
Museum of the City of New York (MCNY)

Image courtesy of
NYCAASC
- NCORE 2020: Badass Asian American Feminists in Motion (June 23, 2020)
- “From Vincent Chin to George Floyd” Webinar (June 22, 2020)
- NYCAASC 2020 New York City Asian American Students Conference Keynote Speaker #1 with Crushing the Myth (April 25, 2020, starts 15:10; ends 40:10)
- 2019 Teaching Social Activism Conference, Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), Keynote Speaker (May 19, 2019)
- The Moth Mainstage, Storyteller (Fall 2017)
- The Moth “Play It Again, SLAM” Showcase, Storyteller (Jan. 22, 2020)
- Crushing The Myth x NBC Asian America, Speaker/Storyteller (Sept. 2019)
- 80 Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories with Nestor Gomez, Host and Storyteller, 2019-
- Crushing the Myth, Speaker/Storyteller, Aug. 2019
- Museum of Chinese in America, Storyteller, Oct 2018
- Shoes Off, Mouths Off: An Asian American Storytelling Thing, Storyteller, Feb. 2020
- Generation Women, Storyteller, March 2019
- Teachable Moments, Storyteller, 2018- 2020