Asian Americans and the Presidential Election

Khyati Y. Joshi, Co-Founder of the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice (IDSJ)

Khyati Y. Joshi is a scholar and thought leader on the intersecting issues of race, religion and immigration in the United States. Dr. Joshi is co-founder of the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice (IDSJ), which offers multi-day institutes, customized workshops, and one-on-one and small-group coaching for organizations and professionals seeking to build their equity and justice competencies. She is a full Professor in the School of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Professor Joshi engages educators, policy-makers, and community leaders in an examination of the historical and systemic nature of bias, its consequences in everyday life, and the solutions that foster social justice and inclusiveness. In doing so, she provides clients with the tools to enhance both their own and their organizations’ ability to provide inclusive, meaningful services and experiences in an increasingly connected and diverse world.

Dr. Joshi is the author and editor of multiple books, including White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America (NYU Press, 2020) and Envisioning Religion, Race, and Asian Americans (University of Hawaii Press, 2020) , co-edited with David Yoo and has contributed to numerous ground-breaking texts and journals in her field. Her writing and research illuminate structures and policies that are often invisible, to inform race relations and interfaith work in the United States.

Brad Onishi, Social Commentator, Scholar, and Co-Host of the Straight White American Jesus (SWAJ) Podcast

Brad Onishi is a social commentator, scholar, and co-host of the Straight White American Jesus (SWAJ) podcast. He is an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University. He founded Axis Mundi Media in 2023 in order to provide a platform for research-based podcasts focused on safeguarding democracy from the threats of extremism and authoritarianism. His writing has appeared at the New York Times, Politico, Rolling Stone, NBC News, HuffPost, and many other outlets. Onishi is a frequent guest on national radio, podcast, and television outlets, including “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross and MSNBC. His podcast, SWAJ, ranks in the top 50 of Politics shows on Apple’s podcast charts – ahead of programs from NPR, the NYT, and other national outlets. His book, Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism – And What Comes Next is available now.

Jerry Park, Associate Professor of Sociology at Baylor University

Jerry Park is an associate professor of sociology at Baylor University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Virginia and pursued a Master’s and PhD in Sociology with a focus on religion and race/ethnic relations at the University of Notre Dame. He served as a research assistant on the Panel Survey of American Religion and Ethnicity (now called the Portraits of American Lives [PALS]) and subsequently joined Baylor University’s sociology department as an assistant professor in 2004. One of Jerry’s areas of interest remains the sociology of religion, but his focus has shifted more towards the sociology of race relations with a particular emphasis on Asian Americans. His research includes topics such as racial/ethnic and religious inequality, identity, culture, intergroup relations, prejudice, and discrimination. For a link to his CV, click here. Over the past few years, Jerry has started blogging on a group site, “Black White and Gray,” and is also an occasional blogger for “Asian-Nation.”

Hyepin Im, President and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE)

Hyepin Im is the President and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE), a national nonprofit involved in empowering churches and nonprofits to leverage their resources by building capacity, leadership, and partnerships in economic development and serving as a bridge between the Korean/Asian American community and the greater community at large. Since its inception in 2001, FACE has had over 1,000 partners, ranging from the White House to Fortune 500 companies. Successful initiatives include educating over 10,000 homebuyers and helping them receive over $1.4 million in down payment assistance, saving over $83 million in assets from foreclosure, partnering with both FDIC and Freddie Mac in developing a Korean curriculum in financial literacy and homeownership, implementing a historic $5 million U.S. Department of Labor workforce development program, and hosting joint conferences with the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to mobilize 4,000 Korean American churches for economic development.