Shania Kuo Explores Asian American Family Dynamics

Shania Kuo became interested in sociology after recognizing its importance in understanding and articulating societal issues. She has focused her studies on her identity as an Asian-American with support from UMN fellowships.

What do you study and how did you become interested in it?

I stumbled upon sociology when I was doing my undergraduate studies at Hamilton College in fall 2020. I had never heard of the subject before, but I had heard many of my friends give positive reviews of the introductory course. 

Taking a course on American society during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd sparked a deeper interest in sociology to understand what was happening around me. It wasn’t until the Atlanta spa shootings that I realized I wanted to study the experiences of Asian Americans. The pain I felt for women I had never met before stuck with me in a way I only knew how to articulate because of my sociological studies. 

I had an extraordinarily supportive department and an advisor who changed the course of my professional trajectory and encouraged me to study topics important to my identity as an Asian American. I undertook several research opportunities and ultimately decided to pursue my PhD. 

What brought you to the University of Minnesota?

I chose to attend the University of Minnesota because of its strength in life course, aging, health, and race and ethnicity research and the Asian American communities within the Twin Cities. 

Asian American research has traditionally focused on East Asian communities (often in California or particular Northeastern cities), leaving Asian American communities in the Midwest understudied. The work of Dr. Teresa Toguchi Swartz, my advisor, was important for developing the framework of my own research since we have many overlaps in our research.

What questions and ideas are you most interested in exploring right now? What problems does your work seek to address?

I’m currently interested in exploring three questions. One: How do urban Minnesotan Asian/Asian American families navigate intergenerational caregiving responsibilities for elderly family members? Two: How does eldercare shape their health, financial, and social outcomes? Three: How are structural inequalities associated with caregivers’ outcomes after the period of care? 

My research draws upon my lived experience as a caregiver for my elderly grandparents, and I seek to support others who face similar challenges that my family continuously faces as a result of the United States’ lack of a social safety net.

Tell us about a current or recent project you've been working on

This [past] summer, I was awarded the Beverly and Fink Summer Research Fellowship to conduct research with Dr. Laura Garbes. Using her interviews with Asian American public radio hosts, I’ve coded them to investigate themes of how Asian American public radio hosts navigated Asian American racial solidarity in their jobs and their communities. 

We are now co-authoring a paper based on my analysis of this data, which we will submit for publication to a peer-reviewed sociology journal. 

Although this research is not focused on Asian American elder care, I view my scholarly profile as examining different issues and topics through the lens of Asian Americans' experiences. Working with Dr. Garbes has been an amazing opportunity for me to co-author with a faculty member, and draw on various interdisciplinary works.

Have you received any notable awards or financial support? 

In my first year, I received the Diversity of View and Experiences (DOVE) Fellowship, administered jointly by the Graduate School Fellowship Office (GSFO) and the Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO). This fellowship was extremely important in laying the foundation of my graduate school career. I had the time to form close relationships, join and attend various groups, events, and seminars, participate in the GSDO’s Summer Institute, and join the Community of Scholars Program (COSP). 

I want to give a special shout-out to the staff [who supported me] while I was there, including Maija Brown, Trae Larson, and Linda Lee because, without them, I would not be where I am now. They have provided me with so much support throughout my first year, and I believe my achievements are in large part due to their support. 

Since receiving the DOVE Fellowship, I have also received the Shelley Joseph-Kordell Memorial Scholarship from the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation (CHAI), and the Edelstein Summer Fellowship from the Sociology department for summers 2024, 2025, and 2026. I am also an inaugural cohort member of the Public Persuasion Project from AAPI Data.  

This story was edited by Sally Adams, an undergraduate student in CLA.