Social Sciences Division

As a group, Asian Pacific Islander Americans contain multitudes: East Asians, South Asians, Polynesians, Micronesians, Melanesians. We come from wildly different regions and distinct cultural backgrounds. How did we get grouped together in the first place? And will we always remain this way? Rick Bonus, professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is quoted.

"Bill Gates has published an important book on an urgent topic, How to Avoid Climate Disaster. It’s mostly about energy, as it needs to be, so I want to discuss it," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.

Washington state Rep. Jesse Johnson, who majored in African American history when he attended the UW, explains his experience learning Black history in schools.

Fighters in Burkina Faso are putting their faith in traditional spiritual practices to protect them as attacks linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State ravage the West African nation, killing thousands and displacing more than 1 million people. Daniel Hoffman, professor of international studies at the UW, is quoted.

Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science, is quoted in this article discussing whether the Democratic party should focus on race or class when trying to build support.

"Biden’s credibility [on climate] with the international audience depends on whether he can show a domestic policy pathway to the promised 50% reduction. Moreover, he needs to make sure that the climate targets do not get tied to other issues that might invite strong domestic opposition," write Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs at the UW, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW.

Glennys Young, professor of history and of international studies at the UW, writes of sanctions against Russia, "But are they the United States’ best option if the goal is, as Biden has put it, to avoid a 'cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia' and instead to create a 'stable, predictable relationship'? ... My answer is sanctions aren’t the only option. The U.S. needs to offer Russia positive incentives, too."

The story of the U.S. population is one of fluidity. Of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, more than half jumped ahead or fell behind others this year, despite state population totals that showed the nation’s slowest population growth since the 1930s. James Gregory, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

This week at the UW, watch the play Rosmersholm, attend a book talk, and more.

Techniques such as “location spoofing” and deepfake geography present significant risks for our increasingly connected society. Because of this, a team of researchers at University of Washington are working to identify ways to detect these fakes, as well as proposing the creation of a geographic fact-checking system. Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.

Under a bill headed to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk, all agricultural workers will start receiving overtime pay in 2022 and have a 40-hour work week by early 2024. It is part of a wave of momentum for legislation to extend overtime pay to farmworkers. Carlos Gil, professor emeritus of history at the UW, is quoted.

The concept of taking back Native land isn’t new. But it encapsulates more than most realize. Charlotte Coté, associate professor of American Indian studies, is quoted.

While the concept of “deepfakes,” or AI-generated synthetic imagery, has been decried primarily in connection with involuntary depictions of people, the technology is dangerous (and interesting) in other ways as well. For instance, researchers have shown that it can be used to manipulate satellite imagery to produce real-looking — but totally fake — overhead maps of cities. Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.

History Professor Margaret O’Mara explains how she plans on incorporating teaching techniques she developed during the pandemic into future curriculum.

Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography, has authored a new study on deepfake geography.