Stanley I. Thangaraj

Biography

Stanley Thangaraj, Ph.D., joined the Stonehill College community in 2022. As the inaugural James E. Hayden Chair for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice, he leads the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice, an interdisciplinary hub supporting faculty and student research that examines how race, ethnicity, and other categories of difference are infused in structures of power. 

Thangaraj’s scholarship focuses on the ways in which race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class and citizenship shape the experiences of immigrant and refugee communities in the U.S. South. His 2015 book, Desi Hoop Dreams: Pickup Basketball and the Making of Asian American Masculinity (NYU Press), investigates the ways in which South Asian American men express their identities and cultivate a sense of belonging in the United States through sports. He has also been interviewed frequently to provide insights on the experiences of the Asian American community, particularly Asian American athletes. His two newest projects examine communities of color in the U.S. South. His most recent book examines Kurdish diasporas in Nashville and the northeastern US to examine how they manage stateless, race, and identity. Thangaraj’s third book project investigates the politics of race, class and sexuality through the relationships between civil rights museums, the city and processes of gentrification.   

Thangaraj comes to Stonehill from the City College of New York, where he served as an associate professor of anthropology, gender studies, and international studies. He worked with students, staff, and faculty on a Gender Task Force that played a pivotal role in the creation of the LGBTQI Center on campus. He served as chair of City College of New York’s Faculty Senate Diversity Committee, facilitating anti-racist dialogue to help recruit and retain students and faculty of color while addressing issues of accessibility, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. He was also an active member of the City University of New York Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Education

• B.A., Anthropology and Political Science, Emory University
• M.A., Social Sciences, University of Chicago
• Ph.D., Socio-cultural Anthropology with a graduate certificate in Asian American Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests

• Anthropology of the U.S. South
• Asian American Studies
• South Asian American Studies
• Kurdish America and Middle Eastern America
• Gender Theory
• Theories of Race
• Anthropology of Sport