PhD Student
North America
Keren Zou (she/her) is a second-year History Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley specializing in North American history, with research interests in U.S. immigration history, comparative histories of race and ethnicity, Asian American history, and Trans-Pacific studies. Her research focuses on the transnational connections of economics, capital, and culture between the U.S. and East Asia during the period broadly known as "Asian Exclusion" (1882-1943). Currently, Keren is examining the circulation of the Chinese medicinal liquor Ng Ka Py during the Prohibition era (1920-1933), investigating how the legislation and enforcement of Prohibition laws led to its ambiguous categorization between medicine and alcohol. In addition to studying the regulation of medicinal liquors and the racialization and surveillance of the Chinese community in the Bay Area, this project utilizes Chinese-language sources to explore how Chinese immigrants understood the meanings of medicine and law and negotiated their belonging in America. Her research aims to fill a gap in U.S. public policy history by showing how Asian immigrants were also involved in Prohibition as part of the broader American nation-building process in the early twentieth century. It also contributes to Asian American history by highlighting the flourishing transnational medicine market during the Exclusion period.
Born and raised in Shenyang, China, Keren looks forward to sharing her stories and connecting with people from around the world throughout her journey.
Research Interests
- U.S. Immigration history
- Comparative Race and Ethnicity
- Asian American History
- Trans-Pacific Studies
- Chinese Diaspora
Awards & Fellowships
2023-2029 Graduate Fellowship, UC Berkeley
2023 University Award of Distinction, UCSB
2023 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Senior, UCSB College of Letters and Science
2023 A. Russell Buchanan Alumni Award, UCSB Department of History
2023 Dick Cook Memorial Award, UCSB Department of History
2023 Shig Katayama Memorial Scholarship, UCSB Department of Asian American Studies
2023 Chair's Award for Excellence in Geography, UCSB Department of Geography
2023 Outstanding Achievement in Geography Major Award, UCSB Department of Geography
2022 Margaret J. Straight Scholarship, Daughters of American Revolution (Mission Canyon Chapter)
2022 Duval Scholarship, UCSB College of Letters and Science
2021-2023 Undergraduate Research Creativity Grant, UCSB College of Letters and Science
Selected Presentations & Talks
January 2024, Organizer & Presenter, "Invisible People, Chinese Gold: Chinese in Pacific Coast Fishing and Canning Industries, 1882-1930," at the "Immigration, Transnationalism, and Global Economy" panel in 2024 AHA Annual Conference (San Francisco).
February 2023, “Santa Barbara’s Chinatown”, public talk given at Daughters of American Revolution Mission Canyon Chapter.
Education
B.A., Highest Honors, History of Public Policy and Law, Asian American Studies, and Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2023.
