Michael R. Jin

Michael R. Jin is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and the Program in Global Asian Studies (GLAS) at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is also a member of the UIC Diaspora Studies Cluster. His research focuses on migration, diaspora, Asian American history, transnational Asia, critical race studies, and the history of the American West.

His seminal work, Citizens, Immigrants, and the Stateless, examines Japanese American migrants across U.S. and Japanese imperial spheres during WWII, analyzing intersections of racism, colonialism, and geopolitical tensions. Current projects include studies on Korean survivors of Hiroshima/Nagasaki and transnational networks of Iranians/Koreans in diaspora.

Jin collaborates with organizations like the Newberry Teachers’ Consortium to develop K-12 ethnic studies curricula. He advised implementation of Illinois' TEAACH Act (2021), making it the first state mandating Asian American history in public schools.

His interdisciplinary approach bridges historical, cultural, and policy dimensions of migration, challenging traditional boundaries in area studies and ethnic studies frameworks.