Issue 5

Meet the team

Andrea Louie

Acting Program Director

Andrea Louie is an Associate Professor of Anthropology,has conducted research exploring how ideas constructed around "Chineseness" as a racial and cultural identity have been reworked as transnational processes bring Chinese from different parts of the world into contact with one another. Her current research focuses on the "cultural socialization" and racialization of children adopted from China in the U.S.

Her book “Chineseness Across Borders: Renegotiating Chinese Identities in China and the U.S.” won the Association for Asian American Studies’ 2004 Book Award in the category of Social Sciences. She is on sabbatical for the 06-07 academic year.

Anna Pegler-Gordon

Program Director

Anna Pegler-Gordon is an Assistant Professor in the James Madison College at Michigan State University. An immigrant from England, her interests include histories of immigration, race and citizenship, as well as visual culture and popular culture. Anna teaches courses in Asian American history, immigration history and immigration policy. She is currently completing In Sight of America, a book about the role of photographic identity documentation in the development of U.S. immigration policy that focuses on the history of Chinese exclusion. With the assistance of one of our APA Professorial Assistants, she is also starting work on a museum exhibition about Chinese Americans.

Joe Cousins

Program Coordinator

Dr. Joe Cousins is new to the APA Studies Program. He is currently working half-time for the academic year. Joe has been at MSU since 1984. His Interests include cross-cultural training and serving an advocate for International Students, Asian Pacific American Students, and ethnic diversity issues. Joe was born and raised in Japan and has traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. His undergraduate and graduate degrees are from Kansas State University. He is presently the Advisor to the Japan Club and the Hmong American Students Association and is a council member of the APAA Faculty & Staff Association. He is looking forward to meeting students in the specialization and invites everyone stop by the office and say hello.

Markus Dodd

Program Assistant & Web Manager

Markus Dodd is the Program Assistant and Webmaster for our APA studies program this year. He intends on graduating with a degree in Professional Writing in 2013. Markus is also studying Japanese, due to his preexisting interest and respect for Asian cultures–which he accredits to his childhood exposure to Japanese Anime. Furthermore, as a person of mixed heritage, Markus relates to the difficulties Asian-Americans face today.