Dissertation: “Constructing Race: The State’s Role in (Mono)Racial Formation”
Committee: Jane Junn (Chair), Christian Dyogi Phillips, Jody Agius Vallejo
My dissertation examines the historical development of racial classification on the U.S. Census from 1930-1990 and asks why the federal government resisted allowing respondents to identify with more than one race. Drawing on archival research and process tracing, I examine how census officials debated, modified, and institutionalized racial categories over time. I argue that the U.S. Census has served as a central institution in the monoracial formation of race in the United States by institutionalizing singular racial classifications through administrative practices. Rather than serving as a neutral instrument for measuring demographic change, the census actively shaped how race was defined, understood, and governed. By tracing the evolution of census racial classifications, this project demonstrates how government institutions construct racial categories and, in turn, influence how individuals are recognized, represented, and understood within American politics.
Watanabe Mata, Melissa. 2026. “Women of Color Identity and Politics: A Comparative Perspective on Asian, Latina, and Black Women.” The Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics: 1–27. Article Link.
Watanabe Mata, Melissa and Muzquiz, José E. “Negotiating Patriarchy: The Impact of Sexism on Women’s Abortion Attitudes in the United States. Under review at the Political Research Quarterly journal
Watanabe Mata, Melissa. “Becoming Women of Color: Identity Formation Among Latinas”
Muzquiz, José and Watanabe Mata, Melissa. “Mexicanas & Mexicanos: Divergent trajectories between Mexican American Women and Men in Presidential Vote Choice”
Junn, Jane and Watanabe Mata, Melissa. “Beyond the Ballot: Political Incorporation, Voting, and Participation among Asian Americans”
Watanabe Mata, Melissa. “Attitudes Toward Race-based Policies: An Intersectional Analysis of Mixed-Race Identity and Gender”