Roger Waldinger

Roger Waldinger is a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Director of the UCLA Center for the Study of International Migration. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University (1983). His research focuses on international migration, its social, political, and economic consequences, and transnational connections between immigrants and their homelands. Key topics include second-generation outcomes, cross-border politics, and immigration policy impacts.

Waldinger has authored over 125 articles and nine books, including Origins and Destinations (2018), A Century of Transnationalism (2016), and The Cross-Border Connection (2015). His work challenges assumptions about transnationalism’s novelty and explores how migrant ties evolve over time. He has held leadership roles, including Chair of UCLA’s Sociology Department (1999–2004) and Director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies (1995–1998).

Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (2008) and multiple ASA accolades, his research bridges sociology, political science, and historical analysis. His articles address deportation fear, immigrant political identity, and the intersection of family and naturalization decisions. Waldinger’s interdisciplinary approach emphasizes the nation-state’s role in shaping migrant experiences.

His work extends to policy implications of migration, including healthcare access for undocumented immigrants and the electoral impact of migration debates. He leads UCLA’s cross-campus migration studies initiative, fostering collaborative research and teaching on global migration trends.