Angelina Chin

Angelina Chin is Professor of History and Co-Coordinator of Asian Studies at Pomona College, where she has been a faculty member since 2006. Her research centers on modern East Asia, with a focus on colonialism, migration, diaspora, gender, sexuality, and disability in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and Japan.

• Institution: Pomona College
• Department: Department of History
• Role: Professor; Co-Coordinator of Asian Studies
• Location: Mason Hall 114, Claremont, CA
• Email: angelina.chin@pomona.edu

Education:

• Ph.D., History (Feminist Studies), University of California, Santa Cruz
• M.A., History, University of California, Santa Cruz
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley

Her research interests include modern East Asian history, gender and sexuality, disability studies, political movements, and transregional networks. She is especially known for her work on urban citizenship, women’s emancipation, and the social histories of marginal communities. Her scholarship bridges historical analysis with interdisciplinary engagement in feminism, postcolonial theory, and disability justice.

Her recent publications, including Unsettling Exiles (2023) and Bound to Emancipate (2012), explore themes of exile, labor, gender, and identity formation in 20th-century East Asia. Her articles span journals such as Modern Asian Studies and Journal of Women’s History, reflecting a consistent trajectory in social and cultural history with strong attention to marginalized voices.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) fellowship (2024–2025)
• Abe Foundation Collaborative Grant (2023–24): 'History and Future of Care Robots'
• Japan Foundation Global Partnership Grant (2023–25): 'Sustainable Futures: Overcoming Disparities' (Co-PI)
• Abe Research Fellowship (2019): 'Assistive Technologies for the Elderly and the Disabled in China and Japan'
• Chiang Ching Kuo Foundation Scholar’s Grant (2015–16)
• Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship (2006–2008)

She has secured multiple research grants and collaborates with scholars and engineers in Japan, including at Ritsumeikan University, ATR, and Osaka Institute of Technology. She advises and mentors students in historical research and interdisciplinary projects, particularly those focused on social justice, identity, and transnational movements. Her recent courses include 'Chinese Diaspora,' 'Gender and Feminisms in Modern East Asia,' and 'Studying East Asian History through the Archives.'

She is currently leading two disability-focused research projects: one on blind workers’ labor movements in Hong Kong since the 1960s, and another on assistive technologies, reflecting her commitment to inclusive and socially engaged scholarship.