Robert G. Lee


Robert George Lee is an Associate Professor of American Studies at Brown University.

Biography

Lee received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Pacific in 1969. Lee proceeded to finish his Master of Arts from U.C. Berkeley in 1971, and then a Ph.D. in History from Brown University in 1980.
Shortly after receiving his Ph.D., Lee was appointed the director of the Third World Center at Brown, a center that is now dedicated to the general support of students of color. His appointment began in 1981, and during his time, Lee focused on helping students of color expand their career choices. Lee served as the director of the Third World Center until 1985.
In addition to his academic appointment, Lee is currently affiliated with the American Studies Association, the Association for Asian American Studies, the Organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association.

Academic work

While affiliated with the American Studies department, Lee was trained as a historian. His interest lies in the history of Asians in the United States, specifically the racial formation of Chinese immigrants and American-born offspring. Lee explores the ways in which Chinese Americans invented Chinese-American identity and informal citizenship through social, cultural and political institutions. Lee has carried these interests as an author of several books and as an editor for many more.
Lee has received the following awards for his work:
In 2007, Lee helped compiled a volume of conference papers called Race, Nation and Empire in American History with James T. Campbell and Matthew Pratt Guterl. This compilation examined American empire, nationalism and foreign policy.
Lee was awarded a Fulbright for the 2013-2014 academic year to lecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His project was titled "Towards a Cultural History of Chinese American Relations."

Selected publications