Diego Javier Luis

Diego Javier Luis is the Rohrbaugh Family Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Johns Hopkins University. He specializes in colonial Latin American history with particular focus on transpacific connections between Mexico and the Philippines during the Manila galleon era (1565-1815). His research examines Asian migration to the Americas and the formation of racial categories under Spanish colonial rule.

Research explores global dimensions of the Spanish empire through analysis of population movements across the Pacific and their societal impacts. Central themes include racialization processes, identity formation, and resistance strategies among diverse Asian communities in colonial Mexico.

Authored the award-winning monograph 'The First Asians in the Americas: A Transpacific History' (Harvard University Press, 2024), which reconstructs early Asian migrations through Spanish imperial archives. Current book projects examine Black communities in the Pacific world and historical fencing traditions across the Spanish empire.

Teaches colonial Latin American history, global empire studies, and race-making processes. Advises graduate students researching global diasporas and colonial ethnogenesis. Serves on the advisory board of Rhode Island's Asian American history museum.