Edward Taehan Chang
Professor
INTS 4025
(951) 827-1825
Edward T. Chang is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies and a former director of the Center for Asian Pacific America (CAPA) at the University of California at Riverside. He earned his B.A. (1982) in sociology and Ph.D. (1990) in Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and M.A. (1984) in Asian American Studies at UCLA.
Professor Chang's research interests include Korean American-African American Relations, Asian-Latino Relations, Immigration, and Race Relations Theory. He is considered as one of the foremost interpreters of the Los Angeles civil unrest and race relations. Professor Chang has lectured on the topics of Korean-African American relations and the Los Angeles civil unrest and its impact on the Korean American community at many universities around the country. Chang was quoted widely in the press on issues relating to the LA civil unrest and their aftermath. He served as a field reporter and consultant for LA is Burning: Five Reports from a Divided City, a PBS Frontline special program on the unrest. Since then, Chang's continued research and speaking on matters relating to building peace in interethnic communities has shown that his interest in this subject goes far beyond one of crisis management and beyond the issues of one urban neighborhood. He has also continued his efforts to motivate the mainstream media to portray race relations in America as an issue that is larger and more complex than simply black and white. He has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, where he has commented on issues related to interethnic relations and the Korean American community.
Chang is the author of several books including the book by the New York University Press (1999) "Ethnic Peace in the American City: Community Building in Los Angeles and Beyond," (with Jeannette Diaz-Veizades) and "Following the Footsteps of Korean Americans," and "Who African Americans Are". In addition, he also served as a guest editor for Amerasia Journal’s special volumes on “What is means to be Korean Today? Part I (2003) and Part II (2004)”. He co-edited two volumes about Los Angeles Civil Unrest and its Aftermath, "Los Angeles: Struggles Toward Multiethnic Community" (University of Washington Press, 1995) and "Building Multiethnic Coalitions" (Regina Books, 1995). Chang was invited as special guest editor of the Korean and Korean American Studies Bulletin: "Emerging Generation of Korean Americans (1999)," "The Korean Diaspora in the USA: Challenges and Evolution (2000)," and "Korean Diaspora in China: Ethnicity, Identity and Change (2001)."
In 2000, Chang received a $200,000 research grant from the Korea Foundation for "Modern Korean History and the Globalization of Korea in the 21st Century" project. He will focus on relations between Korea and Japan during the WW II and how it will shape future relations between the two nations. Professor Chang received the "President's Award" from the President of the Republic of Korea for his efforts leading a national campaign to gain support and raise funds for the development and institutionalization of an achievement test (SAT II) on the Korean language for high school students seeking college admission in 1995. Chang has also received numerous awards including the "John Anson Ford Award" from the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission (1995), "Education Award" from the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA (1995), Milal Award (1996), "Global Korea Award" from the Michigan State University (1995), and "Distinguished Korean American Award" from the SUNY at Stony Brook. He also referred a Certificate of Appreciation from the Korean American Adoptee-Adoptive Family Network (2000).
Currently, Professor Chang is working on the project “The Life of Col. Young Oak Kim: A Profile of Courage.” The life of Young Oak Kim can be appointed in two broad strokes: a legendary war hero of both WWII and the Korean War and a pioneer humanitarian activist. Young Oak Kim is one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. military history. And yet, the range of his humanitarian activities is extensive and far-reaching across the spectrum. It includes: youth guidance and education, welfare of elders and women, family and healthcare-related agendas, and cultural, ethnic and artistic awareness programs.
BOOKS and PUBLICATIONS
- "Los Angeles Struggles toward Multiethnic Community"
- "Who African Americans Are"
- "Ethnic Peace in the American City"
- "Overseas Korean Times"
- "Multiethnic Coalition Building in Los Angeles"
- "Following the Footsteps of Korean Americans"