معرفی
Yoonsun Choi is the Mose J. and Sylvia Firestone Professor in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and the College at the University of Chicago, where she also serves as Chair of the Doctoral Program. She is affiliated with both the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture and the Center for East Asian Studies.
Professor Choi's research focuses on how race, ethnicity and culture fundamentally shape the development of minority and immigrant youth in the United States. Her work particularly challenges the 'model minority' myth attached to Asian Americans, revealing significant variations among different Asian subgroups in terms of mental health, academic performance, and behavioral outcomes. She has conducted extensive research on multiracial youth, finding they often face greater challenges with identity formation and experience higher rates of problem behaviors compared to single-race minority youth.
Her research program includes the Midwest Longitudinal Study of Asian American Families (ML-SAAF), which examines cultural influences on family processes, racial discrimination, and youth development among Filipino and Korean American families. Professor Choi's work has been funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Professor Choi's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Asian American mental health, ethnic identity, family processes, and the impact of racial discrimination. Her recent work has increasingly examined the nuances within Asian American subgroups and the complex interplay between cultural identity, family dynamics, and mental health outcomes. She has made significant contributions to understanding how culturally specific parenting practices influence youth development in immigrant families.
Among her notable recognitions, Professor Choi was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare (AASWSW) in 2023. She has also received the prestigious Research Scientist Development Award (K01) from NIMH, along with other research grants supporting her work on Asian American youth development.
Professor Choi actively engages with community groups and academic audiences to discuss her research findings. She has served in leadership roles including as Vice President for the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and as Program Chair for the SSWR 2012 Annual Conference. Her clinical background includes social work practice with ethnic minority youth, children in foster care, mentally ill immigrant adults, and HIV+ immigrants with limited English proficiency.
