He is also the director of the Asian and Asian American Studies program. His research and teaching interests include Asian American and Pacific Islanders history, race, immigration, food history, and metropolitan history. His book, Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America (University of California Press, 2017), traces the rise of Thai food in Los Angeles and how it became central to Thai American identity and community. He is currently working on two research projects: one on the history of health inspections of Asian restaurants in the United States; another on post-World War II Asian American suburban culture. He is also launching a podcast series that will highlight the lives and histories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Las Vegas.