I'm a linguistic anthropologist and applied linguist with a focus on language, race, and popular culture in Africa and the African Diaspora. I have expertise in multi-sited ethnography, intercultural communication, classroom observation, and stakeholder engagement.
📌 Languages I research and study: Swahili, Spanish, Arabic, African American Language (AAL), Pohnpeian. |
Using methods of observation, description, and critical discourse analysis, I join with people in real life and on the Internet--in their homes, and places of work and learning--to understand who they are and how they see the world.
📌I teach with a focus on equity, justice, and local community engagement. My 2022 forthcoming book is an ode to viral Black language: Zombies Speak Swahili: Race, Horror, and Sci-Fi from Mexico to Tanzania and Hollywood (Oxford University Press). ![]() I'm also co-editor of the 2019 multi-disciplinary anthology on race and the body, Embodied Difference: Divergent Bodies in Public Discourse (Lexington Press).
📌 Now available in paperback! #LanguageStory is a video series and blog I created to discuss people-centered perspectives on communication, intercultural learning, and the impact of anthropological research. |
More teaching & research photos and video on Instagram @jamieisjames