I am a Ph.D. Candidate at Northwestern University in the Department of Political Science. My research examines heterogeneity within group politics, with a particular focus on how migration and identity shape political attitudes and behavior. My dissertation project, Borders Beyond Borders: Migration, Identity, and the Transnational Political Behavior of the Eritrean Diaspora, investigates the political and identity socialization processes that Black immigrants undergo in their home countries and in the United States. I conduct an in-depth case study of Eritrean immigrants in the United States to illustrate the profound impact salient events in the home country, migration pathways, and transnational politics have on shaping the process of identity formation and political behavior. Ultimately, my project illuminates novel theoretical and empirical insights that help bridge literatures in Race and Ethnicity, American, and Comparative Politics by emphasizing the importance of geopolitical relationships in the formation of identity and political behavior. My work has been supported through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the American Political Science Association, and the Northwestern University Graduate School.
Research
My research focuses on heterogeneity within group politics, with broader interests in race and ethnicity, migration, and political behavior.
My current research projects investigate:
- Borders Beyond Borders: Migration, Identity, and the Transnational Political Behavior of the Eritrean Diaspora — How the process of identity formation and political socialization is shaped through transnational processes.
- Black and Ethnic: Theorizing New Approaches to the Study of Black Immigrants in the United States — Investigates how aggregation bias in the study of Black immigrants can obscure meaningful within group heterogeneity.
- Investigating the Naturalization Gap: Determinants of Immigrant Political Participation in the US — Explores how time to naturalization in the US has impacts on immigrant political participation.
Recent Publications & Working Papers
Intergroup Solidarity: White and Black Responses to Criticism and Support for Palestine
Forthcoming PS: Political Science & Politics, 2026
Examining Religious and Racial Identity for Black Christians and Muslims in the United States
The Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, 2026