Autumn 2026
Diasporic Digital Safety
Instructors:
- Amy W. Xiao, PhD student. HCDE
- Dr. Emily Tseng, Assistant Professor, HCDE
How do family members explain deepfakes to their elders in languages they are not completely fluent in? How do immigrant workers determine what is the safest e-banking method to send money back home? How do issues of gender, labor, and migration shape who ends up responsible for keeping communities safe in a digital and increasingly AI-mediated world?
This DRG explores how diasporic experiences shape tech-mediated harm, who does the work of ensuring safety from these harms, and why this matters for digital safety researchers and practitioners. We use ‘diaspora’ to mean multigenerational, transnational and socially connective im/migrant communities —while recognizing that diaspora itself is a contested idea. In this DRG, we will focus on understanding the experiences of people who provide digital safety support (help-givers), and especially those within a diasporic community who do the articulation and translation work between their community and their current cultural environment. Examples of these experiences include: a second-generation student who helps their grandparents spot AI videos, a long-time U.S. resident who translates medical information for visiting relatives, or a social service professional who runs workshops for new immigrants on privacy norms in the workplace.
Students will conduct primary research with help-givers to understand their practices and challenges, and opportunities for design. We particularly welcome students who have preexisting ties to specific diasporic communities, such as a familial relationship or a religious community connection. If applicable, students themselves may also be eligible to participate in this study. Whether or not students are help-givers or are connected to communities of help-givers, they should have a strong interest in how computing technologies impact diasporic life.
This DRG will introduce students to academic literature in digital safety offering frameworks of community vulnerability and resilience. Students will learn qualitative research methods, such as interviewing, member checking, survey development, and thematic analysis, as well as research fundamentals like literature review, study planning, and research collaboration. For the final project, students will have the option of creating translational research artifacts, such as a policy memo, a public-facing blog post or podcast, or a creative piece. Interested students may have the opportunity to contribute to academic publications, and continue the research in a Winter DRG. A tentative schedule is available here.
This DRG will be facilitated by Amy Wei Xiao (HCDE PhD student) and advised by Dr. Emily Tseng (HCDE professor). Meetings will be held regularly in person, but can occasionally be made hybrid or remote if necessary.
Enrollment Information
- Meeting time: Meeting time will be determined based on student availability.
- Credits: 3 credits
- This DRG does count toward the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: Students should ideally have:
- An interest in digital safety research and community-based methods
- Basic familiarity with qualitative research methods, especially interviewing and thematic analysis (such as having taken HCDE 313, 412)
- Active engagement with a multi-generational, transnational community with which they may be excited to recruit and interview support-givers
- Comfort navigating conversations about immigrant or diasporic experiences (e.g. you may be second-gen, or have grown up in an ethnic enclave)
- Application & deadline: To apply, please submit an application via this form by 5 p.m. ET, September 18, 2026.
- Anticipated notification date: Students will be notified of their acceptances on a rolling basis (please submit earlier if possible).
- Questions? Contact Amy Xiao at amywxiao@uw.edu and Prof. Emily Tseng at emtseng@uw.edu