معرفی
Laureen Hom is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at San José State University's College of Social Sciences. Her interdisciplinary scholarship bridges urban studies, ethnic studies, public administration, and public policy, with a focus on community development, gentrification, and neighborhood politics in racialized spaces, particularly within Asian American communities in California.
Her educational background includes professional experience in program management and community-engaged research with unhoused and immigrant communities in San Francisco and New York prior to her academic career. She holds a PhD in Urban Planning (specific institution not mentioned in provided text).
Dr. Hom's research centers on spatial politics, racialization, gentrification, (im)mobilities, and community formations in urban neighborhoods. She examines how community power is articulated to the state and beyond, with implications for addressing social inequities and envisioning just cities. Her work specifically focuses on Asian Americans and immigrant communities in California, emphasizing the importance of place in politicizing and building a sense of belonging for racialized and marginalized groups.
She recently published her book "The Power of Chinatown: Searching for Spatial Justice in Los Angeles" (June 2024, UC Press), which examines community politics and gentrification in Los Angeles Chinatown since the 1970s through over 4 years of intensive fieldwork. Her scholarly contributions span multiple disciplines including Asian American studies, political science, public administration, public health, sociology, urban planning, and urban studies.
Her professional affiliations and community engagement include:
- Board member of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
- Member of the Los Angeles Chinatown Community Land Trust
- Member of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance-Los Angeles Lodge
As an educator, Dr. Hom brings her community-engaged research approach to the classroom, emphasizing critical frameworks and qualitative methods. Her identity as a Chinese American woman with family migration history in California dating back to the early 20th Century deeply informs her scholarly perspective and community engagement.
