Dionee Simmons

Why did you decide to major in East Asian Area Studies (EAAS)?

Since I was young, I have consumed East Asian popular culture and its related subcultures because of my older sister and friends – anime, Japanese roleplaying games, and Korean pop music, to name a few. I realized quickly that I wanted to intellectually engage with these and more, leading me to want an academic specialty in East Asian popular culture. Since my matriculation at USC, EAAS has helped me to pursue that specialization by giving me the historical, social, and cultural knowledge that I needed to engage with East Asian popular culture accurately and across disciplines.

Are there any EAAS related courses or events that have been particularly memorable?

EALC 125: Introduction to Contemporary East Asian Cinema and Culture and EALC 333: Introduction to Korean Film were super memorable courses! I took them as a freshman and sophomore, and I became a huge fan of East Asian Cinema – specifically Korean film – because of those classes. They both helped me better grasp connections between popular culture, history, and society in Korea.
Is there any research or project you are currently working on that you would also like to share?
As a returning KSI Undergraduate Fellow, I am researching lesbian representation in Korean horror films at the turn of the century. For my senior thesis, I am conducting ethnographic research on boys’ love (BL) comic fan communities to explore fandom engagements with sexuality and sensuality.

Do you have any advice for incoming students?

Try everything! If you have even an inkling of interest in a club, class, subject, or experience – do it. You can always change your mind, and your future self will thank you. It is never wasted time, as you’ll be learning more about the world and yourself when you try something new.

What are your plans after graduation?

After a break to recharge, I will be pursuing a career in Business Strategy and Research in the video games industry! When the time is right, I aim to pursue a PhD in Sociology or Comparative Literature in the future.