Professor Sohoni: Dad to Director

From Dad to Director: Discovering Dr. Deenesh Sohoni

By Zoe Marquez | ‘21 APIA and Psychology Major

It was freshman year and I was trying to find a community in this foreign world we call “college.” I was enrolled in a million STEM classes, but decided to take something “different” for my COLL 150 class: Race, Rights, and the Law. This is where I met the dad of the Asian & Pacific Islander American studies program, Professor Deenesh Sohoni. Why is he the dad of APIA, you ask? To begin with, his office is full of his kids’ artworks and pictures of his family. Every conversation with him is filled with knowledge, wisdom, and encouragement to pursue your passions. Not to mention his admitted lack of knowledge with technology and his constant dad jokes in class. Since he began teaching at W&M, Professor Sohoni has always been the “dad of APIA;” now, he takes his new steps as the Director of APIA.

Growing up, Professor Sohoni moved from India to Japan and then to the United States, which shaped his interest in the interaction of diverse cultures.

“I think that shaped my interest in how cultures interact with one another. I didn’t know what sociology was what I needed to study because I never took a sociology class in undergrad. One day, my roommate who was the president for an Asian American student organization said, ‘you know what you’re really studying is sociology, you should just be a sociology person.’ So I ended up applying to University of Washington where I got my degree in Sociology with a focus on demography. “ “A lot of my demographic research has started crossing over into legal implications, so I’ve been excited about adding law to my work with teaching students. APIA has allowed me to create an intersection in studying demography, law, and sociology with special emphasis on Asian Americans as a neglected area of study.” After a few years of teaching, Professor Sohoni began his tenure and his journey with APIA.

“When I came here, we were doing a review in the sociology department, and Professor Linneman, the chair of the Sociology department then asked me ‘If there was one class that you think we need, or one class that you want to teach more than anything, what would it be?’ I put down Asian American Studies, so that stayed in the books with my hope that I will one day teach it.” Then one fateful day in 2007, as APIA’s

founding director, Professor Francis Tanglao Aguas was looking through the course catalog with Edward Hong, the first APIA major, he saw Professor Sohoni’s Asian American Studies class under Sociology. Meeting for the first time via email, Professor Aguas asked Professor Sohoni if they could incorporate the class as a requirement for the new up and coming APIA major. Since then, Professor Sohoni has played an integral role in the formation of APIA as one of the few senior faculty members. “It’s so exciting to be a part of a growing program, starting from scratch and building something really fascinating and fun for our community.” In 2017, Professor Sohoni served as interim director of APIA while Professor Aguas was on sabbatical research leave. This allowed Professor Sohoni to work the ropes and prepare himself for what was soon to come. During this period, Professor Sohoni assessed that while the APIA community has built a great academic program, it still lacks resources.

“One of my goals is to figure out ways to strengthen the program and continue to grow despite the lack of resources. One way to do this is to hire more faculty that will provide sustainment in the long term. As a cross disciplinary program, this will allow us to build and expand our offerings to students who are also interested in topics such as health, psychology, and medicine. With the 100 year celebration approaching, we need the help of administrators and community leaders in promoting APIA more broadly to the university.” One of Professor Sohoni’s favorite parts of being the director is learning more about his colleagues who are affiliated with APIA. As the director, he has been able to learn more about each faculty member’s research and classes, as well as their hobbies and lives outside of academia. For instance, he proudly and enthusiastically shares Professor Chinua Thelwell’s book and Professor Andrea Wright’s research with his students so that they may learn beyond what he teaches.

While APIA has continued to thrive in the age of the pandemic, Professor Sohoni is looking forward to being able to engage with students again. “I miss those social interactions, being able to sit in class, and plan events where I can see students.” Professor Sohoni also enjoys engaging with students in their work outside of academia. He greets each of his classes with a big smile and small conversations before teaching his material. Two of his favorite student events are the Filipino American Student Association’s (FASA) annual events Kamayan and Culture Night. Each year, FASA members always have the pleasure of seeing one of their favorite APIA professors in the crowd.

When asked about how long he plans to remain as the director of APIA, Profesor Sohoni stated, “I see myself for sure as always being with APIA.” Although he has taken over Professor Aguas’ previous position, the job remains a collaborative effect with Professor Aguas and other faculty members supporting him along the way. He states that if there is ever a time that he will need to go on leave for research, APIA is well-positioned for a leadership transition with Professor R. Benedito Ferrao taking on the “crown” as the future leader. Until that day comes, our APIA community will continue to grow with the leadership of Professor Sohoni as he directs the program while continuing with his passion for teaching. “I love teaching and developing new courses to push students and allow them to see the excitement of academic discovery.”

“With the 100 year celebration approaching, we need the help of administrators and community leaders in promoting APIA more broadly to the university.”