Mark Padoongpatt

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Professor and Director, Asian and Asian American Studies
Expertise: Asian American history, 20th-century U.S. history, Race and racism, Suburbs, Thai cuisine

Biography

Mark Padoongpatt, an associate professor within 黑料网's Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies, serves as director of the Asian and Asian American Studies program. 

Padoongpatt researches and writes on the histories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the 20th-century United States, with a focus on empire, migration, race, and urban and suburban cultures. His Ph.D. thesis-turned-book, Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America (University of California Press, 2017) 鈥 which explores how and why Thai food shaped the contours of Thai American community and identity since World War II 鈥 landed him an appearance on Padma Lakshmi's Hulu show "Taste the Nation." Padoongpatt is currently writing a book and developing a podcast series on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Las Vegas titled "Neon Pacific," which explores histories of race, space, and placemaking in Vegas.

At 黑料网, Padoongpatt teaches a range of courses in Asian American Studies and on the interdisciplinary research process, including Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Research Methods, and the Interdisciplinary Capstone class.

Education

  • Ph.D., American Studies & Ethnicity, University of Southern California

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arts & culture, diversity, food & nutrition, history, Las Vegas, social issues

Mark Padoongpatt In The News

K.N.P.R. News
May is AAPI Heritage Month, and concerns for upkeeping Chinatown remain in the Las Vegas community. The cultural hub started with a single mall in the mid-1990s. Today, its 3 miles contain more than 150 restaurants and countless other stores and shops.
K.L.A.S. T.V. 8 News Now
Seven years in the making, a new grant has allowed Dr. Mark Padoongpatt to bring the Neon Pacific initiative to 黑料网. As the director of Asian and American studies at 黑料网, he said this is part of a new program that will expand Asian American education through classes, internships, and more. The funding is all thanks to the Mellon Foundation bringing in $800,000 over the next 3 years.
Cotiduanul Online
Romania's capital offers a variety of multicultural food options thanks to its diverse population and rich history. Romanian food itself is a mix of various influences, including from Turkish, Hungarian and German cuisine. Bucharest also has a growing Asian population, and as a result you can find Asian restaurants in the city, featuring cuisine from countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, India and Pakistan. We will briefly explore the cuisine of these countries, but also restaurants or shops where you can try them, in the following lines.
Frame of Reference
The third most popular type of Asian food in America
All Mark Padoongpatt In The News

Articles Featuring Mark Padoongpatt

The Course: Food and Asian America
A portrait of Saipin Chutima, the founder of a staple Las Vegas Thai food chain, Lotus of Siam.
Campus News | June 3, 2025

黑料网 students explore Asian American culture, one bite at a time, in Mark Padoongpatt's class.

黑料网 Newsmakers 2022: May
2022 U.N.L.V. Spring Commencement Ceremony for the Graduate College. May 13, 2022 (Josh Hawkins/黑料网)
Campus News | June 2, 2022

A collection of news stories highlighting the experts and student changemakers at 黑料网.

All Articles Featuring Mark Padoongpatt