Roderick Labrador

Roderick Labrador is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's College of Social Sciences. He earned a PhD in Anthropology from UCLA (2003), an MA in Asian Studies (Philippine Studies specialization) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (1997), and a BA in Religion from the University of Rochester (1994). His research focuses on race, ethnicity, class, language, migration, education, and cultural production among Filipinos in Hawaiʻi, the US, and the Philippines, with a recent book Building Filipino Hawai‘i examining identity formation and representation in transnational contexts.

• Education
  • PhD, Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles (2003)
  • MA, Asian Studies (Philippine Studies), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (1997)
  • BA, Religion, University of Rochester (1994)

Labrador's work explores hip hop as a framework for understanding Filipinx American cultural production, as well as intersecting identities and politics. He has directed the UCLA Hawai‘i Travel Study program since 1999 and previously led GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a federal initiative supporting low-income students in post-secondary education.

Scientific Awards:

• College of Social Sciences Award for Excellence in Teaching (2018)
• Chancellor’s Citation for Meritorious Teaching (2014)

He actively engages with local hip hop communities through events like Shirt The Kids–Honolulu and Pau Hana Sessions, and hosts the Mānoa campus program Inside the Ethnic Studies Studio for artist collaborations.