SABRINA THOMAS
BKT Assistant Professor of History
David A. Moore Chair in American History
Thomas’ research specializes in U.S. foreign policy with a transnational focus on the intersections of race, gender, nation, and war through the legacies of children born from international conflict.
“Achieving tenure means a lot. I spent a lot of time feeling intellectually insufficient and unprepared to compete and to live within this career. I am very glad that I was able to persist through my doubts and the various obstacles that one faces over such a long period of time. I am also thankful to the numerous students who I had the pleasure to teach who challenged me and forced me to be a better educator and scholar, even if they didn't know it.”
Horses
The horses have a lot of meaning for me— they were my grandmother’s and she passed recently. She loved horses and pretty things in general. This was one of her favorite collections, so I am very happy to have them in my home!
Fodor's, Brazil 2014 Travel Guide
An unconventional pick here, but this book guided me and my favorite uncle and cousin around Brazil in 2014. I loved Brazil and learned so much about Brazilian culture and the interesting ways in which Brazilians understand their multiracial history. There are some definite lessons that Americans could learn in that aspect. I hope to return one day specifically to Salvador, Bahia.
Mai Ngai, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
Ngai’s book proved critical to my own research on U.S. immigration policy as it examines how American law and society have come to understand the term “illegal alien,” who it is applied to, and how it has changed the idea of America as a country that is welcoming to immigrants—to a country that is not. It is a difficult book to read, but very important.
Ellen D. Wu, The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority
Wu’s book is especially important in this moment as Americans are forced to at least acknowledge the history of racism and violence against Asian Americans and people of Asian descent. Wu considers the construction of Asians in America from undesirable foreigners to model minorities— an idea mainly applied to people of Japanese descent. As model minorities, Asians were often compared to other racial minorities— African Americans and Latino Americans as evidence that Blacks and Latinos were responsible for their own failures and that systemic racism or historical discrimination did not exist. It is a fascinating read.
Brenda Gayle Plummer, Rising Wind: Black Americans and U.S. Foreign Affairs 1935–1960
Plummer’s book is important to me as she continues to be an inspiration for my own professional research in U.S. foreign policy. This was the first book I read written by a Black woman that examined the role of Black people in diplomatic history. It was the first time I realized that people of color were also critical to more in U.S. history than just the Civil Rights Movement. I love how she complicates U.S. foreign affairs by considering the role that Black Americans played as actors and agents and the way that U.S. leaders structured U.S. foreign policy in a way that responded to race relations. It is a must-read in my opinion.
Stephen King, Insomnia
I am a HUGE Stephen King fan—even post-drug induced storytelling King. At the same time, I am a big scaredy cat so Insomnia brought both my love and fear to a collision point. I started reading that book years ago and halfway through, (I usually read his books in a couple of days) I started having insomnia. Seriously. So, I have never finished the book but it sits there on my shelf tempting me to pick it back up daily. I expect I will do that during sabbatical!