ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Brookdale Community College, Associate Professor, Sociology/Anthropology/Human Geography Department, 2019 – present

Brookdale Community College, Assistant Professor, Sociology/Anthropology/Human Geography Department, 2008 – 2019

Brookdale Community College, Instructor, Sociology/Anthropology/Human Geography Department, 2003 – 2008

Raritan Valley Community College, Prison Program/NJ STEP, Instructor, Summer 2019

University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Lecturer, Department of South Asian Studies, Spring 2003  

Drexel University, Instructor, Department of Communications, Summer 2002   

Temple University, Instructor, Departments of Sociology, Asian Studies & African American Studies, 1997-2003.

COURSES TAUGHT

• Introduction to Sociology
• Sociology of Minorities
• Immigration and Ethnic History of America
• Sociology of Marriage and Family
• South Asians in the United States
• Comparative Societal Development
• Dimensions of Racism
• Race and Racism
• American Ethnicity

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Sociology, Temple University, January 2003

M.A., Sociology, Rutgers University (New Brunswick), October 1994

B.A., Criminology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, June 1991

PUBLICATIONS

Books

Race and the Lifecourse: readings from the Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Age. Co-edited with Joyce Weil, University of Northern Colorado. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers, 2014.  

Punjabi Immigrant Mobility in the United States: Adaptation through race and social class. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers, 2012.

Peer-Reviewed Journals

Book Chapters and Contributions

Mitra, Diditi. ‘Family Disruption’ as ‘Family Violence’: Immigrant Sikh Families in the United States. In Violence in Intimate Spaces, edited by Pinki Mathur Anurag & Santwana Dwivedy. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Singapore, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2657-8_9

Mitra, Diditi. “Families by law.” Invited contribution to Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America, South Asian American Digital Archive, 2021.

Mitra, Diditi. Poems published in South Asian Ensemble: A Canadian Quarterly of Literature, Arts and Culture, Vol. 7, no 1 and 2, Winter & Spring, 2015.  

Mitra, Diditi. Poems published in Kafla Intercontinental, Vol. 22, No. 1 & 2, 2015.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Travel is fun, Immigration is Not”: International Graduate Students Adapting to America.” In Race and the Lifecourse: Readings from the Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Age, edited by Diditi Mitra & Joyce Weil, New York: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers, 2014.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Pan Asianism: Exploring Possibilities.” In Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society, edited by Richard Schaefer, California: Sage Publications, 2008.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Reflections on Teaching Globalization.” Exploring Globalization: A review of books and ideas (Fairleigh Dickinson University), 2008.   

Mitra, Diditi. ““Erasing Borders: Festival of Indian Dance”: A Reflection.” www.narthaki.com, 2008.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Driving Taxis in New York City: Who Wants to do it?” In The New Immigrant Workforce: Innovative Models for Labor Organizing, edited by Saru Jayaraman and Immanuel Ness, 33-56, New York: ME Sharpe, 2005.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Healing and Accountability.” In Writings on the Healing Wall,edited by City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Project, 55, 2004.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Temple Tears Down Cooney Hall — Grad Housing’s Future Unclear.” In TUGSA, edited by Temple University Graduate Student Association, 2, 2000.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

“Masculinity on a spectrum: the meaning of masculinity and success among Panjabi Sikh men,” (2019), 14^thAnnual European Sociological Association Conference, Manchester, England.

““Dreamweavers”: Centering the visual in international migration,” (2018), 88^thAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Baltimore. 

“Engendering Immigrant Voices: Sikh women reflect on migration to the U.S.,” (2017), 46^thAnnual South Asia Conference, Madison.  

“Women’s Place in Immigrant Families: Sikh women tell their stories,” (2016), 86^thAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Boston.  

“Part of Our Day Job: Student Retention,” (2016), 86^thAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Boston.  

“Women, Families and International Migration: The case of women in immigrant families from Punjab,” (2015), 110^thAnnual American Sociological Society Meeting, Chicago.  

“Gender Organization in Immigrant Families: The case of Punjabis in the United States,” (2015), Association for Asian Studies, AAS in Asia in Motion: Ideas, Institutions, Identities, Taipei, Taiwan.  

“Geographical Relocation meets Gender Dynamics: Patterns of adaptation in South Asian immigrant families,” (2015), 85^thAnnualEastern Sociological Society Meeting, New York.  

“Doing Family Across the Seven Seas: Immigrant Punjabis and the meaning of Family,” (2014), The New York Conference on Asian Studies & The Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, Hofstra University, New York.  

 “Winning the break from afar: Rural Sikh workers in New York City,” (2013), 42^ndAnnual Conference on South Asia, Madison.  

“Consuming and Working: Passengers & Yellow Cabbies in the New York taxi industry,” (2012), 107^thAnnual American Association Meeting, Denver.  

“Consuming the Worker: Customers, labor and the New York taxi industry,” (2012), 82^ndAnnualEastern Sociological Society Meeting, New York.

“Navigating the pathways of race, class and the American labor market: The Punjabi decision to become taxi drivers,^” (2011), 40^thAnnual Conference of South Asia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison.  

“Non-white, Immigrant, and Looking for work: The case of Punjabis in New York City,” (2011), 106^th Annual American Sociological Association Meeting, Las Vegas.  

“Moments of Encounter between Nation and Immigrant: Opportunities, Choices and Punjabi Settlement in America,” (2011),81^st Annual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Philadelphia.  

“Race-Class Revisited: Immigration Policies and Punjabi Entry into the United States,” (2010), 105^thAnnual American Sociological Association Meeting, Atlanta.  

“Micro Choices and Macro Contexts,” 39^thAnnual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, (2010), Pennsylvania State University, State College.

  “Immigrant Strategies and Immigration Policies,” 38^thAnnual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies,(2009), Villanova University, Villanova.  

“Understanding Everyday Race Encounters: Punjabi Taxi Drivers and their Analysis of Racial Discrimination,” 100^thAnnual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, (2005), Philadelphia.  

“Who Is In? Who Is Out?: Punjabi Taxi Drivers Discuss Their Encounters with Discrimination,” (2005), 34^thAnnual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.  

“Socioeconomic Background, Social Ties and Employment Trajectories: A Look at Group of Punjabi Taxi Drivers in New York City,” 72^ndAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, (2002), Philadelphia.

  “Economic Restructuring, Social Networks and Immigrant Punjabi taxi drivers in New York City,” (2002), 31^stAnnual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, Baltimore.  

“Changes, Departures, Entrances: An Explanation for the Development of the Punjabi Taxi Driver Niche in New York City,” (2002), 97^thAnnual American Sociological Association Meeting, Chicago.  

“Immigrant Economic Incorporation and Niche Formation: A Look at Punjabi Taxi Drivers in New York City,” (2001), 71^stAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Boston.  

“Opportunity Structures and Immigrant Labor: Punjabi Taxi Drivers in NYC,” Spencer Student Urban Research Symposium, (2001), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.  

“Traffic Management: Friends, Relatives and the making of Punjabi taxi drivers in New York City,” (2001), 96^thAnnual American Sociological Association Meeting, Anaheim.  

“The New Indians: Asian Indian Taxi Drivers in New York City,” (2000), 70^thAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Philadelphia.   “Policing Asian Americans: The Role of the State and Indian Immigrants in the United States,” (1999), 9^thEast of California Conference, Hartford.  

“The Other Identities: Indian Immigrants in the United States,” 29^thAnnual conference of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, (2000), Lehigh University, Bethlehem.  

“The Boundaries of Female Sexuality: Marriage, Prostitution and Patriarchy,” (1998), South Asian Women’s Conference, Los Angeles.

INVITED LECTURES

Mitra, Diditi. “Against Migration: Punjabi Women Explain Why.” Sponsored by Migration and Diaspora Studies (Indian Sociological Society) in collaboration with Centre for Diaspora Studies (University of Kerala), 2024.

Mitra, Diditi. “Visual Stories of Women and Migration from Punjab” co presented with Shashwati Talukdar and Dr. Nida Sajid. Sponsored by Muktsar Dialogues, 2024.

Mitra, Diditi. “Theorizing Difference: “Indian” Immigrants in the U.S.” International Webinar: Turbulence and Resilience, Exploring Diasporic Spaces sponsored by Department of Sociology, Centre for Diaspora Studies, University of Kerala, India, 2022.

Mitra, Diditi. “1984: Bearing Witness.” Moderator. Sponsored by Sikh Research Institute, 2019.

Mitra, Diditi. “Sikh Cabbies in NYC: Race, class and adaptation.” Sponsored by Centre for Diaspora Studies and Department of Economics. Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India, 2017.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Indian immigrants in the United States: A journey across time and space.”Sponsored by Department of Sociology, St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, India, 2017.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Divided We Fall: America in the Aftermath.” Discussant and moderator for this film, sponsored by Chhange (Brookdale Community College) & Monmouth County Human Resources Council, 2016.  

Mitra, Diditi. From Landowners to Taxi Drivers: Rural Sikh Immigrants in New York City, Webinar, Sikh Research Institute, 2015.  

Mitra, Diditi. Indian Immigrants: The story ‘Beyond Bollywood.’Beyond Bollywood Exhibition,Morris Museum, Morristown, N.J., 2015.  

Mitra, Diditi.The Immigrant Experience, Holocaust Center, Brookdale Community College, 2010.  

Mitra, Diditi. Seminar on Immigration, Brookdale Community College, 2010.  

Mitra, Diditi. “Visualizing the Indian Diaspora: Punjabi American Taxi Drivers in NYC,” Presidential Roundtable at 38^thAnnual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, Villanova University, 2009.  

Mitra, Diditi The Asian American Experience, The Sage Club, Brookdale Community College, 2004.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Executive Committee. Eastern Sociological Society. 2020-2023.

Editorial Board. Sikh Research Journal. 2019- Present.

Panel Organizer. “The Nation and Beyond: Rethinking Punjabi Identity Over Space and Time.” (2015), Association for Asian Studies, AAS in Asia in Motion: Ideas, Institutions, Identities,Taipei.  

Presider. “Gender, Health, and Medicine,” (2015), 85^thAnnualEastern Sociological Society Meeting, New York.  

Presider. “Performing Asian Diaspora in the U.S. (Border Crossing),” (2014),The New York Conference on Asian Studies & The Mid-Atlantic Regional Association for Asian Studies, Hofstra University.  

Presider. “Organizing Immigrants: Social Capital and Integration,” (2009), 79^thAnnual Eastern Sociological Society Meeting, Boston.   

Section Organizer. “Neither Black nor White: South Asian Americans and the Meaning of Race in their Lives,” (2007), 3^rdAnnual South Asia Conference,Rutgers University,New Brunswick.   

Panel Chair. “Labor and Tradition: Theory and Praxis in Political Mobilization,” (2007), 36^thAnnual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, University of Maryland, College Park.   

Section Organizer and Panel Chair. “Understanding the Asian Community in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles,” (2005), 34^th Annual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.   

Panel Chair. “Central and South Asia,” (2005), 34^th Annual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.   

Panel Chair. “Undergoing Economic and Social Changes in South Asia,” (2002), 31^st Annual Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, Baltimore.   

Peer Reviewer. Sociological Forum, Social Problems and Journal of Migration and Integration.  

Editorial Board. Writings on the Healing Wall. City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Project.

ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP

Program Committee, Eastern Sociological Society, 2020 annual conference.

Co-chair, Committee on Community Colleges, Eastern Sociological Society, 2018- Present.

Member, Committee on community colleges at the Eastern Sociological Society, Fall 2016-Present.  

Member, American Sociological Association Committee for Race, Gender, Class Lifetime Achievement Award and Innovation Ad hoc Committee, 2015 to Present.  

Member, American Sociological Association Committee on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities, 2012-2017.  

Chair, Nominations Committee, Mid Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, 2010-11.  

President, Mid Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, 2007-8.   Vice President, Mid Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, 2006-7.   

Program Chair, 35^thAnnual Conference, Mid Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, 2006.  

Organized conference with a colleague at Brookdale Community College entitled “Race and Higher Education: How Far Have We Really Come?” Faculty members from Brookdale Community College as well as from various colleges and universities participated in the conference, 2006.  

Advisory Council & Community Outreach Committee, Mid Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, 2005-11

SERVICE TO BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Sociology program review committee, academic year 2019-2020.

Co-chair, Institutional Planning and Effectiveness Committee, Fall 2016-spring 2018.  

Member, college committee, General Education, Fall 2015-Spring 2018.  

Member, ad hoc college committee for undocumented students, Spring 2015-Present.  

Advisor to student club on immigrant and minority students (Dreamers+), Fall 2015.  

Committee Representative, Institutional Planning and Effectiveness, 2013- 2016.  

Committee Member, International Education Advisory Council, representing Social Sciences Division, 2003-Present.  

Coordinator, Ethnic Studies Program, Brookdale Community College, 2007-12.   

Member (elected), Diversity Council, represented the Social Sciences Division, 2004-2009  

Member, Brookdale Learning Outcomes Buddy, representing the Social Sciences Division, 2003-4

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Dance teacher, Project Home, Jersey City, N. J., Spring 2016  

Volunteer, InsideOut Prison Exchange Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, P.A. Fall 2002 to 2005.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Sociological Association

Eastern Sociological Society

Mid Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies