Christian Okubo

Christian Shoji-Okubo is a Ph.D candidate in History with an emphasis in Asian American Studies. Born and raised as a fourth generation Nikkei (Yonsei) in Colorado, Christian’s research interests are deeply rooted in Nikkei communities located east of California. In particular, his work examines the ways in which place-based racial identities developed among Nikkei in the Intermountain West and how that identity differed from their West Coast counterparts. At its core, Christian’s research seeks to shift the focus of Nikkei history away from a West Coast centered tale of exile and return, where Nikkei journeys to the Intermountain West were but temporary visits. Instead, Christian wishes to tell the story from the perspective of the Intermountain West, emphasizing the region’s place as a home for many durable - even if relatively small - Nikkei communities that existed and endured both before and after incarceration.