Richard D. Alba (born December 22, 1942) is an American sociologist, who is a Distinguished Professor at the

Graduate Center, CUNY The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY Graduate Center) is a public research institution and post-graduate university in New York City. Serving as the principal doctorate-granting institution of the ...

. He is known for developing assimilation theory to fit the contemporary, multi-racial era of immigration, with studies in America, France and Germany. Alba grew up in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where he attended the

Bronx High School of Science The Bronx High School of Science, commonly called Bronx Science, is a public specialized high school in The Bronx in New York City. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission to Bronx Science involves passing the Sp ...

, followed by undergraduate and graduate training at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, where he earned his B.A. in 1963 and Ph.D. in 1974. Alba's text on

assimilation Assimilation may refer to: Culture * Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs ** Language shift, also known as language assimilation, the prog ...

theory (written with

Victor Nee The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

), ''Remaking the American Mainstream'' (2003) won the Thomas & Znaniecki Award of the

American Sociological Association The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded in December 1905 as the American Sociological Society at Johns Hopkins University by a group of fif ...

and the

Eastern Sociological Society Eastern Sociological Society is a non-profit organization with a mission of "promoting excellence in sociological scholarship and instruction". It publishes a peer-reviewed journal (Sociological Forum) and holds a yearly academic conference An ac ...

’s

Mirra Komarovsky Mirra Komarovsky (February 5, 1905 – January 30, 1999), was an American pioneer in the sociology of gender. Early years Born to Mendel and Anna Komarovsky (née Steinberg)

Award. It was the 36th most-cited work in sociology between 2008 and 2012. Alba has also written about the historical realities of assimilation, using Italian Americans to exemplify them. His book, ''Ethnic Identity: The Transformation of White America'' (1990), summarizes his thinking on the assimilation of the so-called white ethnics. His ''Blurring the Color Line: The New Chance for a More Integrated America'' (2009) applied these ideas to non-white Americans. In 2001 Alba was elected Vice President of the

. In 1997 and 1998 he was President of the

. From 2012 to 2013, he was President of the

Sociological Research Association The Sociological Research Association is an honor society of sociological scholars founded in 1936. With more than 400 members, the association's importance comes from the members being leading sociologists who use the SRA's meetings to network an ...

. He has received the Distinguished Career Award from the International Migration section of the American Sociological Association and the Merit Award of the Eastern Sociological Society. He has been awarded a John Simon

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the art ...

, two

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

grants, and fellowships from the

German Marshall Fund The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan American public policy think tank that seeks to promote cooperation and understanding between North America and the European Union. Founded in 1972 through a gift from the ...

, and the

Russell Sage Foundation The Russell Sage Foundation is an American non-profit organisation established by Margaret Olivia Sage in 1907 for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States.” It was named after her recently deceased husband, rai ...

. He is a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the Radcliffe Institute.Fello
Richard D. Alba
at the Radcliffe Institute

Bibliography

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Notes

References

2007 Curriculum Vitae for Richard Alba
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alba, Richard 1942 births Living people American sociologists Graduate Center, CUNY faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Columbia College (New York) alumni Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni