Zion Ariana Mengesha

Zion Ariana Mengesha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research centers on linguistic anthropology, examining how language shapes and reflects social and political ideologies. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from Stanford University, where she was co-advised by Penny Eckert and Rob Podesva, supported by fellowships from the Clayman Institute for Gender Research and the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.

Her primary research investigates respectability politics among African American women in Sacramento, analyzing how language practices negotiate social hierarchies and identity. A parallel strand explores linguistic bias in educational systems and AI technologies, including her collaborative work on Google’s Responsible AI User Experience (Responsible AIUX) team to improve inclusivity of voice-AI systems for African American communities.

Key contributions include documenting racial disparities in automated speech recognition and advancing methodologies for equitable language technology development. Her work bridges sociolinguistics with critical race theory, emphasizing language as a site of both oppression and resistance.

• Grants & Collaborations: Google Responsible AIUX team (2020–2024), Stanford fellowships
• Labs/Teams: Responsible AIUX (Google), UCLA Linguistic Anthropology Lab

Publications highlight themes such as vowel variation patterns in African American English, the impact of ASR errors on marginalized groups, and ethical frameworks for AI design. Awards include prestigious fellowships recognizing her interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of language, race, and technology.