Associate Professor
Ph.D., Sociology,
University of Connecticut, 2014
M.A., Sociology,
University of Connecticut, 2008
Graduate certificate, Women’s Studies,
University of Connecticut, 2009
B.A., Sociology & Social Work,
California State University San Bernardino, 2005
Political Sociology
International Migration
Racial and Ethnic Relations
Gender
Human Rights
Asia and Asian Americans
Dr. Iwata's passion for social justice guides her research and teaching interests. She seeks to explain social inequalities in the U.S. and Japan using an intersectional approach. Her dissertation research examined the Japanese concepts of “race” and racial hierarchy, and how they affect foreign migrants in Japan. Dr. Iwata also coauthored As the Leaves Turn Gold: Asian Americans and Experiences of Aging, which documents the challenges and opportunities of aging for Asian Americans.