Cynthia Feliciano

Cynthia Feliciano is a Professor of Sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, affiliated with the American Cultural Studies Program and the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, & Equity. She holds a PhD from UCLA (2003) and a BA from Boston University (1995). Her research focuses on racial/ethnic boundaries, immigrant incorporation, and educational disparities among the second generation. Key areas include Latin American, Caribbean, and Asian immigrant descendants, emphasizing how pre-migration contexts shape outcomes in the U.S.

Her career includes roles at UC Irvine (2004-2018), where she held associate and full professorships with courtesy appointments in Chicano/Latino Studies and Education. Feliciano has received prestigious fellowships from the Ford Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, and others. She has advised over 20 graduate and undergraduate students, mentoring on topics like racial identity, educational mobility, and intergenerational change.

Publications span journals such as American Sociological Review and Demography, with a focus on racial classification, dating preferences, and immigrant selectivity. Her book Unequal Origins (2006) examines how immigrant group status affects second-generation education. Current projects explore Latino racial identity and multiracial dynamics across adulthood.

Awardees include honors from ASA sections, UCI’s Dynamic Womyn Award (2015), and multiple grants from NSF and the Weidenbaum Center. Feliciano’s work bridges academia and policy, addressing demographic shifts and inequality reduction.