Rupa Pillai

Rupa Pillai is a Senior Lecturer in Asian American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in cultural anthropology with a focus on race, religion, and migration. Her research examines the adaptation of Hinduism by Indo-Caribbean Americans in New York City, drawing on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork. She previously taught at Brandeis University and Tufts University.

• B.A., University of Texas at Austin (Asian Studies and Anthropology)
• M.A., University of Chicago (Social Sciences)
• Ph.D., University of Oregon (Anthropology)

Her work intersects multiple disciplines, including Race & Ethnicity, Religion, Diaspora Studies, Gender & Sexuality, and Urban Studies. She applies feminist and queer theoretical frameworks to analyze cultural practices, particularly in Indo-Caribbean communities.

Rupa's recent publications (2019–2020) emphasize ethnographic methods, GIS mapping, and diasporic religious practices. These works explore themes like Hinduism in Little Guyana, feminist narratives through music, and subaltern theory applications.

She teaches courses such as Introduction to Asian American Studies, Asian American Religions, and Asian American Gender and Sexualities. Her affiliations include the American Academy of Religion, American Anthropological Association, and the Center for the Study of Religion and the City's Advisory Board.