Merle Woo

Merle Woo is an lesbian socialist feminist Asian American academic, poet, and activist who has been described as "a leading member of the Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party". Her essay "Letter to Ma" was selected for inclusion in the 1981 feminist anthology This Bridge Called My Back.

Early life and family Woo was born in San Francisco, California on October 24, 1941 to a Chinese father and a Korean mother, Richard and Helene Woo.

Education In 1965, Woo received a B.A. in English from San Francisco State University. In 1969, Woo received a M.A. in English literature also from San Francisco State University. It was while she was studying for her M.A. that Woo witnessed the 1968–69 Third World Student Strikes at the University, which had a huge impact on her becoming an activist. Woo also believes that these strikes had a positive impact on her ability to later find work.

Career After completing her degree in 1969 Woo began working at San Francisco State University with their Equal Opportunity Program, where she taught Lesbian Literature, among other classes. Working with students of color, she also tried to make English learning more relevant and added non-English literature into her work.

In 1986 Berkeley declined to renew Woo's teaching contract, a move she believed to be discrimination and retaliation. Woo once again successfully fought against the dismissal, winning a union arbitration against the university in 1989. In 1991 Woo accepted settlement from the university in lieu of reinstatement after her breast cancer diagnosis. She went on to teach at California State University Hayward, San Francisco State University, and San Jose State University. She is one of the first few Asian American lesbian poets to write unequivocally about lesbian sexuality, including her poem "Untitled" in which she writes about lesbian sex and oral pleasure.

Woo identifies as a socialist feminist, Asian American lesbian educator and writer, unionist, and cancer survivor. She is a leader in the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women. She advocates for a multi-issue coalition of the oppressed and frequently appears at organized events or parades for the oppressed.

In 1991 amidst Woo's battle against Berkeley's administration, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2004 she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which she also survived. Woo identifies as a cancer survivor.