Alex Lu
I am currently a second year graduate student in Indiana University’s sociology program. Originally from Shreveport, LA (the new Hollywood South), I graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana in 2004 with a B.A. in sociology and minors in philosophy and psychology. I earned my M.A. in sociology from Louisiana State University in 2007. My master’s thesis, “Litigation and Subterfuge: Chinese Immigrant Mobilization during the Chinese Exclusion Era,” examined how Chinese immigrants created political opportunity structures using litigation to combat the Chinese Exclusion laws, which in turn caused the federal government to pass and enforce more stringent laws. The resulting backlash from the American government forced the Chinese to rely on techniques of direct action centered largely on subterfuge to gain residency.My general research interests include social psychology (specifically identity and stress), race/ethnicity, sociology of law, sociology of health, and sociology of disasters. My race research projects include (1) examining how immigrants’ discursive framing in legal claims of race resulted in failure to acquire citizenship by naturalization and (2) analyzing the how immigration laws and occupations influenced perceptions of Asian American masculinity. My current research on atheists includes (1) analyzing the strategies atheists employ to manage their stigmatized identity and (2) examining how atheists negotiate levels of identity context to fulfill functional needs. My work on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees looks at how determinants of the evacuation process and residential environment affect mental and physical health outcomes.
In my free time, I like to exercise, cook, and watch TV. In particular, I like to lift weights, run, cook and eat Chinese, Indian, and Louisiana cuisine (in large quantities), and watch the History channel.
