This project involves the dissertation research of an anthropology student from the University of California - Irvine. The student will study the Asian-American community in three places in Alaska -- Anchorage, Kodiak and Nome. The project gathers demographic information and studies migration patterns, employment and occupations, and cultural retention and changes, and interracial ad inter-ethnic interactions. It will use multiple methods including respondent interviews, participant observation, survey questionnaires and key informant protocols. This research is important because inter-ethnic and inter-racial strife is a major fact of life in many areas. This case study of how a complex Asian community fits into a complex Alaskan social setting can help us understand general principles of community conflict and adaptation.
