Sharon Yoon

Sharon Yoon is an Associate Professor of Korean Studies at the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame. She holds affiliations with the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. Her research focuses on global and transnational sociology, race, ethnicity, migration, economic sociology, and qualitative methods. Yoon has conducted extensive fieldwork in Korean diasporic communities across Seoul, Beijing, and Osaka. In 2022, she received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Japan-United States Friendship Commission to study anti-racist movements supporting Korean minorities in Japan.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, Princeton University
• B.A. Magna Cum Laude, Dartmouth College

Research Interests: Yoon explores how transnationalism impacts social and economic dynamics among Korean migrants, particularly in Beijing’s Koreatown. Her work analyzes anti-racist activism in Osaka, examining how marginalized groups leverage social media and physical communities to drive legislative change. She has published extensively, including her book The Cost of Belonging (Oxford University Press, 2020) and articles in journals like Journal of Contemporary Asia.

Awards & Funding:

• Fellowship from NEH/JUSFC (2022)
• Grants from NSF, Blakemore-Freeman Foundation, Korea Foundation, Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences, and Social Science Research Council

Engagement: Yoon collaborates with think tanks (e.g., Korea Economic Institute) and grassroots organizations (e.g., Korea NGO Center). She contributes to media outlets like NPR and KBS World Radio. Fluent in Korean and Japanese, she also teaches courses on race in Asia and transnational connections.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, focusing on transnationalism and social justice.