Richard D. Alba

Major contributions to both the theoretical and empirical study of ethnicity, race, and immigration. His prize-winning book with Victor Nee, Remaking the American Mainstream (2005), provides a new assimilation theory to fit the contemporary, multi-racial era of immigration. It is one of the most widely cited books in sociology. His early work on white ethnics documented the assimilation of third and later generation Americans. His work on race documented continuing neighborhood segregation but also showed the coming demographic openings to a more diverse workforce and society. His recent work focused on the challenges of immigrant integration in education, religion and race comparing the United States with Western Europe.