Melissa Watanabe Mata

Melissa Watanabe Mata is a PhD candidate in Political Science and International Relations (POIR) at the University of Southern California. Her research examines how the U.S. government shapes race and belonging through institutional practices such as census classification, using archival and qualitative methods. Her work also examines how racial identity shapes political attitudes and behavior using survey data.

Substantively, her research engages questions of race, ethnicity, and gender in American politics, with particular attention to Asian American, Latina/o, and mixed-race identities. Her research has been published in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics.

Melissa served as President of the POIR Graduate Student Association from August 2022 to May 2024, where she worked to foster an inclusive academic community, support graduate student professional development, and organize events that promote intellectual exchange.