Book

In progress

  1. “Unseen and Uncounted: Bureaucracy, Identity, and the Expansion of Panethnic Politics.” (based on dissertation)

Unseen and Uncounted: Bureaucracy, Identity, and the Expansion of Panethnic Politics introduces the concept of classification cost to explain how the administrative challenges of identifying and categorizing marginalized communities shaped the rise of new racial group formations. Federal agencies set official racial classifications, but their consequences were most acutely felt in local encounters between street-level bureaucrats and community members. These dynamics became especially salient during the War on Poverty, when expanding social programs created new incentives and constraints for accessing public resources. When the cost of recognizing small, fragmented, or poorly understood immigrant populations was deemed too high, the state defaulted to residual labels like “Other.”

Faced with exclusion from official categories, ethnic elites engaged in political innovation. They coined new panethnic labels, built coalitions across national-origin lines, and established civic organizations to render their communities legible to the state. These bottom-up efforts, rooted in bureaucratic encounters, enabled groups to reduce classification costs for government agencies and reshape how race was codified in policy. Over time, these strategies scaled upward, influencing federal classification schemes and institutionalizing panethnic categories such as “Asian American” and “Latino.”

The book draws on extensive archival research, a dataset of over 800 community-based organizations, and computational analysis of 78,000 articles from ethnic newspapers. Using comparative analysis across cities, racial groups, and national contexts—including Asian–Latino, Asian–Black, and U.S.–Canada comparisons—it shows that panethnic identities did not emerge from shared culture or intrinsic solidarity. Instead, they were the product of strategic adaptation to the classificatory logics and incentive structures of the modern administrative state.

By centering policy implementation, local political economy, and classification cost, Unseen and Uncounted reframes racial group formation as a process of political contestation, administrative negotiation, and institutional co-production. In doing so, it extends the theory of administrative burden by showing how burdens operate not only at the individual level, but also at the group level. More broadly, the book contributes to ongoing debates in political science, sociology, public administration, history, and critical data studies by offering new insight into how racial categories are constructed, contested, and institutionalized through the everyday workings of government.

University presses specializing in American politics and public policy are warmly encouraged to reach out to discuss this book project further. I look forward to engaging with publishers committed to rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship in these areas.

Books
  1. “We Need Civic Data: How Public Data Can Fail Us, and How It Can Build a More Just Society (in Korean).” (in Korean, Sejong Books 2023) [book website]

Why can we shop with one click but still struggle to access basic public services?

We Need Civic Data is the first book in Korean to comprehensively examine the concept, practice, and promise of civic data—data designed not for profit or bureaucratic procedure, but for the public good. Written by social data scientist and public interest technologist Jae Yeon Kim, the book draws on real-world policy examples from the U.S. and South Korea to show how government data systems shape who gets access to benefits, who gets heard, and who gets left behind. Across ten clear and accessible chapters, Kim offers a roadmap for building a more equitable, citizen-centered digital state. From improving public service interfaces to training the next generation of civic data scientists, this book reimagines public data not just as infrastructure, but as a foundation for stronger democracy and better government.

Impact & Recognition

  1. “How to Use University: A Practical Guide for College Students (in Korean)” (Sejong Books, 2014)

Why do so many students enter college full of ambition—only to graduate with more confusion than clarity?

How to Use University is a practical, student-centered guide to navigating college with purpose, curiosity, and intention. Organized around four core themes—exploring college, learning, career, and life—it helps students shift from passive schooling to intentional, opportunity-driven learning. The book encourages students to treat the university as a launchpad—not a system to passively endure—for discovering interests, initiating projects, and building momentum. It emphasizes a key idea: unlocking even one small opportunity—especially a self-initiated project—can set off a cycle of opportunities that grows over time. With its structured framework, practical strategies, and ethos of civic-minded entrepreneurship, this book has become a trusted companion for Korean college students seeking clarity, growth, and public impact.

Impact & Recognition

  • The first edition sold over 10,000 copies and has been widely recommended by educators, university counselors, and mentoring programs across South Korea

  • Featured in major Korean media outlets including Maeil Business Newspaper and Chosun Biz

  • Frequently used in student development seminars and campus book clubs

  • A fully revised second edition is coming soon

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