Two weeks ago, Canadian Studies Hildebrand Fellow Andrew Zhao travelled to Canada to speak at the annual conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA), the most important political science conference in North America. Andrew presented a research project funded by Canadian Studies, exploring the political legacy of Canada's residential schools.
Andrew is a second-year PhD student in the Travers Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the intersection of identity and politics. Originally from Alberta, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and worked in public opinion research for several years before coming to Berkeley. He has received two Hildebrand Fellowships from Canadian Studies.
APSA is the oldest and largest professional organization for political scientists in the United States, and its annual meeting is the most important gathering of its kind in North America. This year's conference, the 121st APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, was held from September 11-14 in Vancouver, Canada. It drew over 5,000 scholars and experts from across the United States, Canada, and even further afield.
Andrew spoke as part of the session "Indigenous Identities and Contextual Politics". His presentation, "The Political Legacy of Indian Residential Schools", was based on research he conducted over the summer, largely funded by the Canadian Studies Program through our Hildebrand Fellowship. It examines whether the physical presence of Indian residential schools had durable, measurable effects on voting patterns in nearby communities in Canada. His Fellowship supported travel archives in Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver, as well as translation services for French documents. Canadian Studies also sponsored Andrew's attendance at APSA, to share his findings with the broader political science community.