Thai V. Le

Dr. Thai V. Le earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, where his research focused on issues of social equity. His dissertation examines the diverging pathways to citizenship and immigrant integration in the United States and extrapolates the multiplicative effects of racialized and gendered barriers within immigrant communities.

As a mixed-methods researcher, Dr. Le utilizes statistical models, ethnographic practices, and spatial tools to study a range of issues, including naturalization outcomes, regressive and discriminatory local financing practices, the digital divide, emotional justice, and burnout among public sector workers. In uplifting social equity and intersectionality, his research also disaggregates data to elevate the narratives of marginalized and minoritized communities. Dr. Le’s postdoctoral work takes a mixed-methods approach in exploring the immigrant integration landscape in California to identify strategies in mobilizing and organizing hard-to-reach immigrant populations.

In addition to producing research that contributes to positive social change, Dr. Le’s primary goal as an activist and scholar is to teach students foundational skills that will prepare them to advocate for a just society centering equity.

Dr. Le is originally from Mississippi but was raised in Southern California where he also earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA in International Development Studies, Asian American Studies, and Political Science. After UCLA, Dr. Le lived abroad for several years as an English Teacher, Peace Corps Volunteer, and youth development organizer. Dr. Le’s passions in life beyond his advocacy work include traveling and eating noodles.