Immigration & Asian American History Scholar; Bae Family Professor of History at Harvard; Author of "The Making of Asian America"

Cambridge, MA, USA

Erika Lee Biography

Erika Lee is a leading immigration and Asian American historian whose scholarship has influenced the understanding of race, citizenship, and xenophobia in United States history. Lee holds the position of inaugural Bae Family Professor of History at Harvard University and serves as the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Director of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard. She has also served as the Pitt Professor of American History and Institutions at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining Harvard, Lee was a Regents Professor and Director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, where she co-founded digital humanities projects including Immigrant Stories, #ImmigrationSyllabus, and Immigrants in COVID America.

As an author, Lee has written five nonfiction books and received awards such as the American Book Award and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Her major works include "At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882–1943," "Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America" (co-authored with Judy Yung), and "The Making of Asian America: A History." "The Making of Asian America" served as the basis for the Peabody Award-winning PBS film series "Asian Americans." Her book "America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in America" received the American Book Award and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. "Made in Asian America: A History for Young People," co-written with Christina Soontornvat, was published by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Lee's public engagement includes election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and testimony before Congress during hearings on anti-Asian discrimination and violence. She has appeared on PBS, CNN, NPR, and in the New York Times, and contributed opinion pieces to the Washington Post and Time. Lee has delivered more than 50 professional lectures and keynotes at academic institutions, historical societies, museums, and organizations in the United States and internationally.

In addition to her books, Lee has received recognitions including an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship and the Distinguished Historian Award from the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. She has also received an honorary degree from Tufts University. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the U.S. State Department, and the Social Science Research Council, and has informed historical exhibits at the National Archives, the New York Historical Society, and the Angel Island Immigration Station. A past president of the Organization of American Historians, Lee contributes to the ongoing national conversation about immigration, identity, and the legacy of xenophobia in American society.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 11/05/2026.

Erika Lee Videos

Historian Erika Lee & activist Helen Zia on rise in anti-Asian violence ...

Historian Erika Lee & activist Helen Zia on rise in anti-Asian violence ...

During the coronavirus pandemic, Asian Americans have experienced a sharp increase in racist verbal abuse and physical attacks. From the ...

Xenophobia in America: How we got here and what's at stake | Erika ...

Xenophobia in America: How we got here and what's at stake | Erika ...

America is called a "nation of immigrants," but it is also a nation of xenophobia. Historian Erika Lee explores the deep roots of xenophobia in ...

Full Frame: Race and Immigration in the U.S. with Erika Lee - YouTube

Full Frame: Race and Immigration in the U.S. with Erika Lee - YouTube

The coronavirus has led to increased reports of harassment against Asian- Americans. This kind of discrimination has long been part of U.S. ...

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Erika Lee is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Erika Lee for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Erika Lee generally travels from Cambridge, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Laura Ling, P. Gabrielle Foreman, Tania Israel, Linda Sarsour and Peniel E. Joseph. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Erika Lee for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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