Hirokazu Yoshikawa is a community and developmental psychologist who has devoted his career to understanding the effects of public policies and programs on children’s developmental, educational, and socioeconomic outcomes. He has studied child development among mixed-status immigrant families in the U.S.; early-childhood programs for refugee, migrant, and displaced families in the Middle East, south Asia, and South America; and the effects of gender and sexuality alliances on teenagers’ mental health and academic engagement. Yoshikawa’s work has shaped large-scale interventions supporting families in crisis contexts and helped integrate early childhood development into the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Professional positions
- 2013–present: Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education and University Professor; Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; New York University
- 2006–2013: Professor (2006–2011) and Walter H. Gale Professor (2011–2013) of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University
- 1998–2006: Assistant professor of psychology (1998–2004), associate professor of psychology (2004–2005), and professor of applied psychology (2005–2006), New York University
Notable publications
- Chaudry, Ajay, Taryn Morrissey, Christina Weiland, and Hirokazu Yoshikawa. 2021. Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality, 2nd edition. Russell Sage Foundation.
- Yoshikawa, Hirokazu. 2011. Immigrants Raising Citizens: Undocumented Parents and Their Young Children. Russell Sage Foundation.
- Shinn, Marybeth, and Hirokazu Yoshikawa, eds. 2008. Toward Positive Youth Development: Transforming Schools and Community Programs. Oxford University Press.
- Yoshikawa, Hirokazu, Thomas S. Weisner, and Edward D. Lowe, eds. 2006. Making It Work: Low-Wage Employment, Family Life, and Child Development. Russell Sage Foundation.
Degrees
- PhD, clinical psychology, New York University
- MA, psychology, New York University
- MM, piano performance, The Juilliard School
- BA, English literature, Yale University
