Mae Ngai

Mae Ngai is a renowned American historian and Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies at Columbia University, specializing in immigration history and Asian American studies. Her work has been influenced by Erik Olin Wright, David Roediger, and Gary Gerstle. Ngai's research focuses on the intersection of race, class, and citizenship in the context of United States history, often drawing on the experiences of Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, and Mexican Americans. She has also been shaped by the ideas of W.E.B. Du Bois, C. Vann Woodward, and Nancy F. Cott.

● Early Life and Education

Mae Ngai was born to Chinese American parents and grew up in a multicultural community, which sparked her interest in ethnic studies and sociology. She pursued her undergraduate degree at University of Chicago, where she was exposed to the works of Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim. Ngai then moved to University of Wisconsin–Madison to complete her graduate studies, working under the guidance of Nell Irvin Painter, David Montgomery, and William Cronon. Her graduate research was influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, the American Indian Movement, and the Chicano Movement.

● Career

Ngai began her academic career as an assistant professor at University of Chicago, teaching courses on American history, Asian American studies, and immigration history. She later joined the faculty at Columbia University, where she has taught a range of courses, including Theories of Race and Ethnicity, Asian American History, and Comparative Immigration History. Ngai has also held visiting appointments at University of California, Berkeley, New York University, and Harvard University, collaborating with scholars such as Mary Dudziak, George Lipsitz, and Vijay Prashad. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

● Research and Publications

Mae Ngai's research has focused on the history of immigration to the United States, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of Asian Americans and Latin Americans. Her book, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America, explores the concept of illegal immigration and its impact on United States law and society. Ngai has also published articles in journals such as the Journal of American History, American Quarterly, and Social Text, engaging with the work of Ian Haney López, Lisa Lowe, and Michael Omi. Her research has been influenced by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

● Awards and Honors

Mae Ngai has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the field of American history and Asian American studies. She was awarded the Frederick Jackson Turner Award from the Organization of American Historians for her book Impossible Subjects. Ngai has also received fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, recognizing her as a leading scholar in her field, alongside Nancy F. Cott, Linda Kerber, and Kathryn Kish Sklar. Her work has been acknowledged by the Association for Asian American Studies, the Latin American Studies Association, and the National Association for Ethnic Studies.

● Notable Works

Mae Ngai's notable works include Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America, which won the Frederick Jackson Turner Award and the Littleton-Griswold Prize from the American Historical Association. She has also co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Asian American History with David Yoo, which provides a comprehensive overview of the field of Asian American studies. Ngai's work has been reviewed in publications such as the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post, and has been recognized by the Pulitzer Prize board, the National Book Award committee, and the Bancroft Prize committee. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Category:American historians