Aoki Center

The Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies had an active year. Read our 2025-26 Aoki Center Annual Report to learn what we’ve been doing and how you can be involved: https://law.ucdavis.edu/aoki-center-annual-report-2026

Thanks to all in our community who supported communities, people in jeopardy, and the Aoki Center. We look forward to building community and raising awareness in the 2026-27 academic year.

A heartwarming post from our Harris Prize winner. Congratulations, Cesar!

Today, I had the honor of receiving this year’s Angela Harris Prize for Critical Race Scholarship. I am especially grateful to Professor Lisa Ikemoto for submitting the paper on my… | César Ledesma | 27 comments Today, I had the honor of receiving this year’s Angela Harris Prize for Critical Race Scholarship. I am especially grateful to Professor Lisa Ikemoto for submitting the paper on my behalf! Undoubtedly, the past three years of law school have been a wild rollercoaster of both successes and setbacks...

The Aoki Center happily co-sponsored LaLSA’s culture week event, “Understanding Immigration Law: Authors Discuss the Fourth Edition” on April 2. King Hall Professors Raquel Aldana and Kevin R. Johnson talked about the edition they recently co-authored with Professors Bill Ong Hing, Leticia M. Saucedo, and Enid Trucios-Haynes. The book lays out the basics of U.S. immigration law in an accessible way to newcomers to the field. The Immigration Law Association also co-sponsored the event.

For upcoming Aoki Center events, visit https://law.ucdavis.edu/academics/centers/critical-race/events.

Professor Amy Motlagh visited King Hall today to discuss her new book, Colorblind: Racial Thinking and Cultural Production in Modern Iran and the Diaspora. Professor Motlagh teaches Comparative Literature and Middle East/South Asia Studies at UC Davis and is the inaugural Bita Daryabari Presidential Chair in Persian Language and Literature.

Read about her book: https://www.sup.org/books/middle-east-studies/colorblind

Find upcoming Aoki Center events: https://law.ucdavis.edu/academics/centers/critical-race/events