Isabela Seong Leong Quintana, "Urban Borderlands: Multiracial Histories and Gendered Borders in Los Angeles" (UNC Press, 2026)

The historical intersection of Chinese and Mexican communities in Los Angeles between the 1870s and 1930s reveals how racialization as "foreigners" shaped urban segregation and daily life. Dr. Isabela Seong Leong Quintana argues that borders function beyond geopolitical lines, manifesting in everyday spatial practices and social exclusion. By analyzing archival gaps, she employs interdisciplinary methods—including spatial analysis and the critical reading of fictional accounts—to recover the experiences of women and children often omitted from traditional historical records. This comparative lens highlights missed opportunities for coalition building between marginalized groups while demonstrating how state-led immigration enforcement, such as the Placita raids, targeted both communities through shared ideologies of exclusion. Her work challenges rigid racial categorization in historical scholarship, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of how diverse populations navigated shared, contested urban spaces.