I am a Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR). I am American, but I have lived in England since 1991, when I went to London to do my doctoral research on immigrant families (PhD in Social Policy 1996, LSE; BA in History & Literature 1996, Harvard University).

My research interests include ethnic identity, ‘race’ and ‘mixed race’, racisms, migration (in its many forms) and immigrant adaptation. Over the years, I have been involved in British, European and North American research networks, including IMISCOE, the American Sociological Association, and the British Sociological Association.

My most recent book, Multiracial Parents: Mixed Race Families, Generational Change, and the Future of Race (NYU Press), came out in November 2017. Highlighting generational change, this book explores the experiences of multiracial people who are parents, and the ways in which they are identifying and raising their children.

I am currently collaborating with Carolyn Liebler (University of Minnesota) on a Russell Sage funded project, 'Racial Identities and Life Choices among Mixed-Heritage People in the USA​': Project Summary: People of mixed racial background have some flexibility in how they self-identify. How does a mixed-heritage person’s racial identification influence other aspects of their life? We contribute to prior work by: (a) integrating three related areas of study – self-identity, choice of marriage partner, and ethnic and racial identification of children; (b) comparing experiences of White-American Indian, White-Asian, and White-Black people in the USA; and (c) utilizing 75 in-depth interviews in concert with analysis of census data (from 1980-2016). 

I am on the editorial board of the following refereed journals:

• Ethnic and Racial Studies
• Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
• Ethnicities
• Identities

I was the Guest Professor in Memory of Willy Brandt at the Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM), in Malmo, Sweden, in Autumn 2013. In Autumn 2017, I was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Advanced Research Collaborative (ARC) at the CUNY Graduate Center, New York.