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Karen Leong

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SST Asian Pacific American Studies
Associate Professor
Faculty, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 6403
SST American Studies
Assoc Professor
Faculty, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 6403
SST Women and Gender Studies
Assoc Professor
Faculty, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 6403
Affiliate Faculty, Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict
Assoc Professor
Faculty, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 6403
Biography: 

Karen Leong is an associate professor of women and gender studies and Asian Pacific American studies in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University.

In all aspects of Leong's scholarship research, teaching, and community engagement, she explores the overlapping and mutually reinforcing discourses of gender, race, class, and nation, and how these discourses have advantaged some and disadvantaged others in United States society. In her teaching and research, she focuses on United States cultural and social history with an emphasis on women's experiences, the development and shifting of gender ideologies, racial identity formation, immigration policy and the formation of national identities. Her book, "The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna May Wong, Mayling Soong Chiang and the Transformation of American Orientalism" was published by the University of California Press in spring 2005. She is currently working with JACL Arizona and members of the Japanese American community on an oral history project about Japanese Americans in Arizona.

Education: 

Ph.D. University of California-Berkeley

Publications: 
  • Karen J. Leong. Allure and Anxiety: Gamblers, Glamour Girls, and New Women in East Asia Commentary. (2012).
  • Li, W., Airriess, C., Chen, A. and Leong, K., and Keith, V. Katrina and Migration: Evacuation and Return by African Americans and Vietnamese Americans in an Eastern New Orleans Suburb. The Professional Geographer (2010).
  • Wei Li, Christopher A. Airriess, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, Karen J. Leong, and Verna Keith. Katrina and Migration: Evacuation and Return by African Americans and Vietnamese Americans in an Eastern New Orleans Suburb. The Professional Geographer (2010).
  • Wei Li, Christopher A. Airriess, Karen Leong, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, and Verna Keith. Vietnamese Americans in New Orleans East: From Vietnamese Village to Asian Quarter?. How Ethnically Marginalized Americans Cope with Catastrophic Disasters: Studies in Suffering and Resiliency (2010).
  • Karen J. Leong. Still Walking Still Brave: Mapping Gender, Race, and Power in U.S. Western History. (2010).
  • Airriess, C., Li, W., Leong, K. J., Chen, A., & Keith, V. C. Church-Based Social Capital, Networks and Geographical Scale: Katrina Evacuation, Relocation, and Recovery in a New Orleans Vietnamese American Community. Geoforum (2008).
  • Karen Leong. Communicating Diplomacy: Eleanor Roosevelt's Role in Managing Madame Chiang Kai-shek's 1943 Visit. White House Studies (2008).
  • Wei Li, Christopher Airriess, Angela Chen, Karen Leong, Verna Keith. Surviving Katrina and its Aftermath: A comparative analysis of community mobilization and access to emergency relief by Vietnamese Americans and African Americans in an Eastern New Orleans Suburb. Journal of Cultural Geography (2008).
  • Karen J. Leong. Introductory Essay, "Breaking the Silence: Japanese Americans and Executive Order 9066.". Silent History/ A Survey of Japanese American Internment: Photographs by Todd Stewart (2008).
  • Karen J. Leong and Judy T. Z. Wu. "Filling the Rice Bowls of China: Staging Humanitarian Relief during the Sino-Japanese War.". Chinese Americans and the Politics of Race and Culture (2008).
  • Angela Chen, Verna Keith, christopher airriess, Wei Li, Karen Leong. Economic Vulnerability, Discrimination, and Hurricane Katrina: Health among Black Katrina Survivors in Eastern New Orleans. The Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2007).
  • Angela Chen, Verna Keith, Karen Leong, christopher airries, Wei Li. Hurricane Katrina: Prior Trauma, Poverty and Health among Vietnamese Katrina Survivors. International Nursing Review (2007).
  • Angela Chia-Chen Chen, Verna M. Keith, Karen J. Leong, Christopher Airriess, Wei Li, Kuo-yi Chung, and C.C. Lee. Hurricane Katrina: prior trauma, poverty and health among Vietnamese-American survivors. International Nursing Review (2007).
  • Karen J. Leong, Christopher A. Airriess, Wei Li, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, and Verna Keith. "Resilient History and the Rebuilding of a Community: The Vietnamese American Community in New Orleans East". Through the Eye of Katrina: The Past as Prologue? Special issue, Journal of American History (2007).
  • Karen Leong, christopher airriess, Wei Li, Angela Chen, Verna Keith. Resilient History and the Rebuilding of a Community: The Vietnamese American Community in New Orleans East. The Journal of American History (2007).
  • Karen J. Leong, Christopher Airriess, Verna Keith, Wei Li, Angela Chia-Chen Chen, Thuy-Kim Le, and Ying Wang. . "Raising a Storm: The Role of Community Networks in Two New Orleans Neighborhoods Before, During, and After Katrina". Through the Eye of Katrina. Social Justice in the United States (Carolina Academic Press, 2007) 169-182 (2007).
  • Karen Leong. Anna May Wong and the British Film Industry. Quarterly Review of Film and Video (2006).
  • Leong, Karen. The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna May Wong, Mayling Soong and the Transformation of American Orientalism. (2005).
  • Leong, Karen. Yoshiko Uchida. Notable American Women. A biographical dictionary completing the twentieth century (2004).
  • Karen Leong. Foreign Policy, National Identity, and Citizenship: The Roosevelt White House and the Expediency of Repeal. Journal of American Ethnic History (2003).
  • Leong, Karen (Author) . The Racialized Image of Anna May Wong. Major Problems in Asian American History: Documents and Essays (2003).
  • . . Review of: Across the Pacific: Asian Americans and Globalization (2002).
  • Leong, Karen (Author) . Strategies for Surviving Race in the Classroom. Race in the College Classroom (2002).
  • Leong, Karen (Author) . A Distinct and Antagonistic Race': Constructions of Chinese Manhood in the Exclusionist Debates, 1869-1878. Across the Great Divide: Cultures of Manhood in the United States West (2001).
  • Leong, Karen. The Page Law, 1875. Civil Rights in America (2000).
  • Leong, Karen. Yick Wo v. Hopkins. Civil Rights in America (2000).
Research Activity: 
Spring 2021
Course NumberCourse Title
TCL 210Intro to Ethnic Studies in US
JUS 210Intro to Ethnic Studies in US
APA 210Intro to Ethnic Studies in US
AFR 212Intro to Ethnic Studies in US
SST 604Sexuality Studies
Fall 2020
Course NumberCourse Title
APA 200Intro/Asian Pacif Amer Studies
WST 601Critical Concepts of Gender
Spring 2020
Course NumberCourse Title
APA 493Honors Thesis
APA 499Individualized Instruction
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Fall 2019
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 492Honors Directed Study
APA 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
WST 493Honors Thesis
APA 498Pro-Seminar
WST 498Pro-Seminar
WST 499Individualized Instruction
APA 499Individualized Instruction
SST 590Reading and Conference
WST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 795Continuing Registration
WST 799Dissertation
Summer 2019
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 499Individualized Instruction
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Spring 2019
Course NumberCourse Title
APA 360Asian Pacific Amer Experience
APA 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
APA 498Pro-Seminar
APA 499Individualized Instruction
WST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
SST 604Sexuality Studies
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Fall 2018
Course NumberCourse Title
APA 330Asian Pacific American Genders
WST 331Asian Pacific American Genders
APA 492Honors Directed Study
WST 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
WST 493Honors Thesis
WST 498Pro-Seminar
APA 498Pro-Seminar
APA 499Individualized Instruction
WST 499Individualized Instruction
SST 590Reading and Conference
WST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
WST 601Critical Concepts of Gender
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 795Continuing Registration
WST 799Dissertation
Summer 2018
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 499Individualized Instruction
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Spring 2018
Course NumberCourse Title
APA 330Asian Pacific American Genders
WST 331Asian Pacific American Genders
APA 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
APA 498Pro-Seminar
APA 499Individualized Instruction
WST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Fall 2017
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 492Honors Directed Study
APA 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
WST 493Honors Thesis
APA 498Pro-Seminar
WST 498Pro-Seminar
WST 499Individualized Instruction
APA 499Individualized Instruction
SST 590Reading and Conference
WST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 795Continuing Registration
WST 799Dissertation
Summer 2017
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 499Individualized Instruction
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Spring 2017
Course NumberCourse Title
APA 360Asian Pacific Amer Experience
WST 377History/Amer Feminist Thought
APA 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
APA 498Pro-Seminar
APA 499Individualized Instruction
WST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Fall 2016
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 492Honors Directed Study
APA 492Honors Directed Study
APA 493Honors Thesis
WST 493Honors Thesis
APA 498Pro-Seminar
WST 498Pro-Seminar
WST 499Individualized Instruction
APA 499Individualized Instruction
SST 590Reading and Conference
WST 592Research
WST 593Applied Project
WST 599Thesis
WST 601Critical Concepts of Gender
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 795Continuing Registration
WST 799Dissertation
Summer 2016
Course NumberCourse Title
WST 499Individualized Instruction
APA 499Individualized Instruction
WST 690Reading and Conference
WST 790Reading and Conference
WST 792Research
WST 799Dissertation
Presentations: 
  • Karen J. Leong. Paper: "Legislating the Reproduction of Citizens: A Feminist Analysis of Arizona Politics" Panel: "An Interdisciplinary Feminist Analysis of Racial Formations beyond the Black-White Binary". National Women’s Studies Association Annual Meeting, Oakland CA (Nov 2012).
  • Karen J. Leong. "Redrawing the Boundaries of Japanese American Internment History". Western History Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (Oct 2012).
  • Karen J. Leong. "Peter Boag’s _Redressing the American Frontier_". Coalition for Western Women's History, Western History Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (Oct 2012).
  • Karen J. Leong. "Peter Boag’s _Redressing the American Frontier_". Coalition for Western Women's History, Western History Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (Oct 2012).
  • Karen J. Leong. "New Directions in Asian American Studies". Pacific Coast Branch – American Historical Association (Aug 2011).
  • Karen J. Leong. "Allure and Anxiety: Gamblers, Glamour Girls, and New Women in East Asia - Sponsored by the Northeast Asia Council". Association for Asian Studies/International Convention for Asian Scholars Joint Conference, Honolulu (Apr 2011).
  • Karen J. Leong. Panelist, "Manufacturing a Crisis and the Reproduction of Secondary Citizenship Arizona's SB1070 and the 14th Amendment". Immigration, Nation and Gender panel, Gender and States of Emergency, Department of Women’s Studies, (Apr 2011).
  • Karen J. Leong. "Unsettling Alliances: Teaching, Theory, and Activism at Arizona State,". Critical Ethnic Studies and the Future of Genocide Conference, UC Riverside (Mar 2011).
Service: 
  • ASU Ethnic Studies Working Group, Member (2011 - Present)
  • University General Studies Committee, Member of Cultural Diversity committee (2010 - Present)
  • National Women Studies Association, Member of Teagle Civic Engagement Working Group (2010 - Present)
  • Social Sciences and Humaniites Research Council, Canada, Grant reviewer (2009 - Present)
  • Frontiers, Manuscript reviewer (2005 - Present)
  • Issues in Educational Leadership, Reviewer (2005 - Present)
  • ASU Graduate College, Presenter, Preparing Future Faculty Program's Diversity Seminar (2005 - Present)
  • Gender and History, Manuscript reviewer (2004 - Present)
  • Frontiers: A Journal of Women's Studies, Member of editorial collective (2004 - Present)
  • Women's History Month Lecture, Women's Studies Program, ASU, Organizer (2004 - Present)
  • Governing Board of the Council of Western Women's Historian, Elected (2011 - 2013)
  • Western Historical Quarterly, Member, Editorial Board (2009 - 2012)
  • Journal of American History, Member, Editorial Board (2009 - 2012)
  • JUS 394 "Race, Space, and Inequality", Guest lecture, "Indigenous Arizona and Japanese American Internment" with Dr. Myla Vicenti Caripo (2011 - 2011)
  • Pacific Coast Branch American Historical Association, Program Committee Member for 2011 Annual Meeting (2010 - 2011)
  • Western History Quarterly, Editorial Board member (2009 - 2011)
  • Journal of American History, Editorial Board member (2009 - 2011)
  • CLAS Curriculum Committee, Member (2010 - 2011)
  • Journal of American History, Editorial Board (2009 - 2011)
  • Film & Media Studies Lecturer Search Committee, Member (2010 - 2010)
  • Immigration Tomorrow Symposium, Multicultural Resource Center and Comparative American Studies, October 2, 2010, Oberlin College, OH., Keynote Speaker (2010 - 2010)
  • Immigration Tomorrow Symposium, Multicultural Resource Center and Comparative American Studies, October 2, 2010, Oberlin College, OH., Panelist (2010 - 2010)
  • American Studies Association, Yasuo Sakakibara Prize Committee member (2007 - 2009)
  • University of Arizona, External Reviewer for promotion & tenure (2009 - 2009)
  • Association for Asian American Studies Book Awards Committee, Co-chair (2008 - 2009)
  • Western History Association, Nominating Committee (2007 - 2009)
  • Association for Asian American Studies, Regional Representative to the Board of Directors (2007 - 2009)
  • Third-Year Review Committee for Brandon Yoo, Chair (2008 - 2009)
  • Program Committee, Western History Association 2008 National Meeting, Member (2007 - 2008)
  • Scripps College, External reviewer for Promotion and Tenure file (2008 - 2008)
  • Temple University Press, Manuscript Reviewer (2008 - 2008)
  • Frontiers, Manuscript Reviewer (2008 - 2008)
  • Asian and Asian American Student Convocation Committee, Member (2007 - 2008)
  • IHR MIgration and Belonging Research Cluster, Co-convener of cluster (2007 - 2008)
  • Association for Asian American Studies Annual Meeting, Organized Directors Workshop (2008 - 2008)
  • University of California at Santa Cruz, External reviewer for Promotion and Tenure (2008 - 2008)
  • University of North Carolina, Manuscript Reviewer (2008 - 2008)
  • School of Justice and Social Inquiry Director Search Committee, CLAS, ASU, Member (2006 - 2007)
  • Institute for Humanities Research Advisory Board, CLAS, ASU, Member (2005 - 2007)
  • Nominating Board, Pacific Coast Branch-American Historical Association (elected position), Member (2005 - 2007)
  • Pacific Coast Branch-American Historical Association Nominating Board, Elected member (2005 - 2007)
  • Pennsylvania State University, External reviewer for promotion and tenure (2007 - 2007)
  • University of Chicago, External reviewer for tenure (2007 - 2007)
  • LGBT Certificate Committee, Member (2006 - 2007)
  • ASU in Arizona, Internship Selection Committee (2007 - 2007)
  • Caucus for Asian Pacific American Studies in the Interior West, regional caucus for Association for Asian American Studies, Founding member (2006 - 2006)
  • LIT, Manucript reviewer (2006 - 2006)
  • Meridiens, Manucript reviewer (2006 - 2006)
  • Southwest Borderland Hire Search Committee, PhD Committee, Women and Gender Studies Program ASU, Member (2006 - 2006)
  • Tulsa Women's Studies Journal, Manucript reviewer (2006 - 2006)
  • University of North Carolina Press, Manucript reviewer (2006 - 2006)
  • University of Oklahoma Press, Manucript reviewer (2006 - 2006)
  • Asian American Pacific Islander Student Coalition, ASU, Graduation speaker for fall API graduate celebration (2005 - 2005)
  • Institute for Humanities Research Director Search Committee, CLAS, ASU, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • Prescott Unitarian Church, Invited Speaker (2005 - 2005)
  • APAS Ad hoc Bylaws Committee, Chair (2005 - 2005)
  • Asian American Faculty and Staff Association, Board member (2004 - 2005)
  • Director Institute of Humanities Research Center Search Committee, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • Women's Studies Curriculum Committee, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • Women's Studies Personnel Committee, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • Arizona Humanities Council History Fest for Phoenix High School District, Panel organizer and presenter (2005 - 2005)
  • West Valley Art Museum, Speaker (2005 - 2005)
  • APAS Ad hoc Curriculum Committee, Member (2005 - 2005)
  • Signs: A journal of feminist studies, Manuscript Reviewer (2005 - 2005)
  • Assistant Professor Search Committee, Member (2004 - 2005)
  • 2005 Decolonizing the Academy: Women of Color in Higher Education, ASU committee member (2004 - 2005)
  • Asian/Pacific American History Collective Website Committee, member (2004 - 2004)
  • Asian American Faculty and Staff Association (AAFSA), Board Member (2003 - 2004)
  • REFOCUS (Retaining and Equipping Faculty of Color for the University System) Initiative, Co-coordinator (2004)
  • WAGS/UMI Masters Thesis Award, Thesis reviewer (2004 - 2004)
  • Organizing committee, "LGBTQ Student Success and Resources Workshop", Co-coordinator (2004 - 2004)
  • Desert Rain: Women of Color Transforming the Arizona Academy, Co-convener with Melinda de Jesus and Delia Saenz (2003 - 2004)
  • African American Studies, Search committee, Director (2003 - 2003)
  • Journal of Women's History, Manucript reviewer (2003 - 2003)
  • Personnel Action Committee, Women's Studies Program, ASU, Member (2003 - 2003)
  • Boys on the Side. Co-curricular Events. System Proposal, Academic Year, ASU, Faculty facilitor (2002 - 2003)
  • ASU Asian Pacific American Convocation 2003 committee, Member (2003)
  • African American Studies Director Search committee., Member (2003)
  • Anna May Wong: A 20th Century Actress documentary, Consultant (2003)
  • Choice Library Magazine, Reviewer (2003)
  • Exceptional Merit Media Awards (EMMAs) Committee. National Women's Political Caucus National Convent, Judge (2003)
  • Frontiers Editorial Collective, Member (2003)
  • Gathering at the River: Women of Color in the Arizona Academy,, ASU Co-coordinator (2003)
  • Graduate College, ASU, Lecture/Facilitator (2003)
  • History Fest sponsored by Phoenix Unified School District and the Arizona Humanities Council, Workshop presenter (2003)
  • Intergroup Relations Center Director Search committee, Member (2003)
  • Japanese Americans in Arizona Oral History Project, Organizer (2003)
  • Journal of Women's History, Reviewer (2003)
  • Multicultural Student Center Village Series, ASU., Invited presenter (2003)
  • Tools for success: Becoming acquainted with the faculty at ASU, for Multicultural Student Center, Author (2003)
  • Women's Studies Director Search committee, Member (2003)
  • ASU Asian Pacific American Convocation committee, Member (2002 - 2002)
  • Grant-writing committee for ABOR Multicampus Learner Centered Education Grant, Member (2002 - 2002)
  • Prize and Program Committee,Women's Studies Program, ASU, Chair (2002 - 2002)
  • Women's Studies Works-in-Progress Reading Group, Arizona State University, Coordinator and member (2000 - 2002)
  • Asian LEAD Academy, ASU Multicultural Student Center, Interim coordinator (2002 - 2002)
  • National Women's Studies Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, Panel and proposal reviewer (2002 - 2002)
  • diversity workshop for Camp Sparky camp counselors, ASU, Coordinator and participant (2002 - 2002)
  • Conference Committee, Asian Pacific American History National Initiative, Member (2001 - 2001)
  • Curriculum Committee and Prize Committee, Women's Studies Program, ASU, Member (2001 - 2001)
  • Seven year review Committee, Women's Studies Program, ASU, Member (2001 - 2001)
Expertise Areas: 
Feminism and Gender Studies
American and Ethnic Studies
Feminist and Queer Theory
Oral History