Elaine H. Kim

Professor at UC Berkeley

Elaine H. Kim is a pioneering scholar and professor emerita in Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.1 2 Her contributions to the field have been significant and wide-ranging:

Academic Career

Kim was one of the founders of the Asian American Studies Program at UC Berkeley in 1969 and became a ladder faculty member in 1974.2 She retired from teaching in 2015 after 44 years of dedicated service to the university.5 Throughout her career, she held various administrative positions at UC Berkeley, including Faculty Assistant to the Chancellor for the Status of Women, Associate Dean of the Graduate Division, and Assistant Dean in the College of Letters and Science.2

Research and Scholarship

Her research interests encompass:

Asian American cultural studies
Asian American literature and cinema
Korean diaspora studies
Asian and Asian American feminism3 4

Kim has authored, edited, or co-edited 10 books, including the groundbreaking "Asian American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context".1 Her work has been instrumental in establishing and advancing the field of Asian American and Pacific Islander studies.

Community Activism

Beyond academia, Kim has been actively involved in community organizations:

Co-founded Asian Women United of California in 1976
Helped establish the Korean Community Center of the East Bay in 1977
Secured initial funding for Asian Immigrant Women Advocates in 19852

Media Production

Kim has also contributed to documentaries, including:

"Slaying the Dragon: Asian Women in U.S. Television and Film"
"Labor Women"
"Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded"1 2

Awards and Recognition

Her outstanding contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including:

Asian Pacific American Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award (2012)
Association for Asian American Studies Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)
California State Assembly's Award for Excellence in Education (2006)
Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Notre Dame (2004)1 2

Elaine H. Kim's work has significantly shaped the field of Asian American studies and contributed to greater understanding and recognition of Asian American experiences and perspectives.