Bianca Mabute-Louie

Bianca Mabute-Louie is a sociologist, author, activist, and keynote speaker whose work focuses on the intersection of race, religion, and politics. Mabute-Louie is a Ph.D. candidate in the Sociology department at Rice University and a Boniuk Institute Graduate Scholar. Her research explores how immigrant status, race, and religion intersect to shape identity, belonging, and civic action. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy with a minor in Economics from Mills College and a Master of Arts in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University. Mabute-Louie has served Asian American community organizations and taught Asian American Studies, emphasizing solidarity and collective liberation.

Mabute-Louie’s academic work appears in journals such as Social Forces, Socius, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, and Sociology of Religion, as well as in public outlets including LA Times and Elle Magazine. Her scholarship has also been featured in CNN, TIME, ABC, Cheddar News, USA Today, The Conversation, and Mic. Through her research and public engagement, Mabute-Louie addresses topics such as Asian American identity, racial justice, and solidarity.

Her book, "Unassimilable: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century," published by HarperCollins, combines manifesto and memoir to examine race, class, citizenship, assimilation, and the model minority myth, detailing their impact on Asian American communities from the nineteenth century to the present. Mabute-Louie analyzes how predominantly white institutions influence the racial politics of Asian Americans and investigates the role of religion, highlighting the immigrant church as both sanctuary and an extension of colonialism and the American Empire. In the book’s conclusion, she proposes reconsidering the term Asian American in favor of "Asian Diaspora" to better reflect the current realities of Asians in America.

"Unassimilable" has received media attention, with Mabute-Louie joining NPR’s Ailsa Chang to discuss un-assimilability, anti-Asian hate crimes, and generational hopes. The book has been featured on KQED and reviewed by critics and scholars. Mabute-Louie draws from Black radical traditions to explore Asian American political consciousness and the potential for racial reckoning.

As a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Mabute-Louie engages audiences in academic, community, and corporate settings, providing context on AAPI history, racial justice, diversity, and equity. She is recognized for her ability to clearly communicate complex topics and foster meaningful discussion about race and belonging in America.