University of Southern California, Department of Sociology

BIOGRAPHY

I was born in Vietnam and came to San Jose, CA with my family when I was nine years old. After graduating from Andrew P. Hill High School in 2000, I entered UCLA and majored in History, Southeast Asian Studies, and Asian American Studies. I had the opportunity to cultivate my passion for social inquiry through a number of research projects.

Upon my graduation from UCLA in 2004, I went to Yale University as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. There, I conducted a study examining the implications of homeland activities on the trajectory of assimilation for Vietnamese American youth leaders. After the fellowship, I moved back to Southern California and worked with the largest Vietnamese American community through my employment at the District Office of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.

In 2005, I entered USC's graduate program in Sociology with two years of Provost's Ph.D. Fellowship. I am interested in examining religion and identity, race and ethnicity, and immigration. For my dissertation, I plan to study two transnational Vietnamese religious communities, Cao Dai and Hoa Hao, in the U.S., Australia, and Vietnam. My advisers are Janet Hoskins and Leland Saito.

In addition to research, I am passionate about being involved in the community and on-campus student activities. During my free time, I enjoy reading novels and physical activities -- particularly cycling, yoga, and rock climbing.