Kai Yui Samuel Chan teaches classes on political theory, democratic theory, and transnational politics. His research concerns individuals and communities traversing state borders.
Chan’s current book project, Entangled Peoplehood, examines self-determination in light of the challenges confronting colonized, indigenous, and exiled peoples as they navigate an existing global order of nation-states. His previous research has been published in American Journal of Political Science, Political Studies and the European Journal of Political Theory. Chan has a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in political science with a specialization in political theory.
What attracted you to Occidental?
I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and did my undergraduate degree there. My college years were marked by an extremely vibrant intellectual and contentious political atmosphere, which greatly shaped my intellectual and personal journey. I have heard about Â鶹ÊÓƵstudents being politically engaged and intellectually curious, and thought that it would be great to be a part of such a community!
How did you take an interest in politics, and in your specialty in particular?
My initial intellectual puzzle arose out of my participation in the 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong: how should activists organize democratically in the absence of hierarchical authorities and formal procedures? This question led me into political theory in graduate school, but my academic interests have since broadened and shifted to how we should think about political relationships, both national and transnational.
Can you talk about a favorite class you have taught (or are currently teaching) and what students can expect to take away from it?
I am really enjoying my current class, Theorizing Membership and Migration. This is obviously a topic with high political stakes and of great contemporary relevance, but it also allows you to think through fundamental theoretical questions. What is the nature of a political community? What is the meaning of citizenship? How should we think about a world that features asymmetrical patterns of mobility? While there is no way we can talk about this course without also discussing what is currently happening in this country, the course also tries to get students to step back, both by examining theories and concepts, and by looking at cases from other countries.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing in Los Angeles?
I like to run. I have been running through the streets of Highland Park, Pasadena, San Marino, and Arcadia quite a bit, and have tried out some of the trails in the Angeles National Forest. I will be running the LA Marathon in a week—really looking forward to it!