Project Mentor
Dr. Simon Yamawaki Shachter
Department: Sociology
Project Overview:
I am writing an academic book about the role of ethnic civil society organizations in the urban development of the West Coast. Unlike much of the rest of the U.S., the initial development of cities on the West Coast coincided with mass immigration. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland went from small frontier towns to major metropolises through the work of first- and second-generation immigrants who provided the labor and developed the business ties essential to urban growth. Due to the essential role these immigrants played, the rapidly growing cities and states relied on co-ethnic and inter-ethnic civil society organizations to govern their diverse populations, attract labor for burgeoning industries, and develop trade routes to connect their cities to growing markets around the world.
The book shows how each city’s unique geographic constraints, comparative advantages, and collective identities led them to rely on different ethnic groups to achieve each city’s specific economic goals. The resulting government relationships with Chinese, German, Irish, Japanese, Jewish, Mexican, and/or Scandinavian ethnic organizations led the cities on divergent paths of development for their political institutions, political cultures, and racial and ethnic boundaries that are still evident today.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The SHARE apprentice will help find, analyze, organize, and summarize research sources from books, articles, and online archives. This research will help support the arguments of the book and provide nuanced detail about the historical context and key players. The apprentice will provide feedback on, help edit, and potentially write drafts of, book sections.
The SHARE apprentice will learn how to find and organize research resources, read and take notes efficiently and strategically, and learn about the book writing process. This is a great opportunity for an apprentice to hone their research, reading, and writing skills.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
The preferred time commitment is one where the apprentice’s work can be spread out over at least 9 weeks or more. Given the iterative nature of the research process, I prefer a student who can work several hours a week for multiple months. However, the start date and end date are flexible as are the times and days of the week the student works.
Preferred Qualifications:
The student must have taken at least two upper-level (2000 or 3000) courses in sociology and/or history at an A- or above level, as well as having completed a W course. The student must be detail-oriented, comprehensive in their analysis, and a quick reader. No prior research experience is necessary, but a strong interest in some part of the content (ex. certain city, immigrant group, urban history, etc.) is strongly preferred.
To Apply:
The application opens on Monday, March 2, 2026. Click here to submit an online application for this SHARE apprenticeship through the Quest Portal. The application deadline is Monday, March 30, 2026, at 11:59pm.
Click here to view an outline of the general application questions. In addition to the general questions, applicants for this apprenticeship will be asked the following question:
- Briefly describe a research project you did in the past (for a class, job, or other purpose). What do you think went well, what did you struggle with, and what learnings did you take away from the experience? (250 word maximum)
Please note:
All students hired for a SHARE Summer apprenticeship must complete a federal I-9 form and present original documents in person to OUR staff as part of the hiring process. Visit this U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services page for more information about acceptable documents. You cannot begin working until this is complete. Students are encouraged to plan ahead for this. For example, if you are going home for spring break, consider bringing original documents back to campus with you.