Dr. Cohen's research focuses on three areas: migration, development and nutrition.  Since the early 1990s he as studied the impact, structure and outcome of migration from indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico to the US with support from the National Science Foundation.   He has also conducted comparative research on Mexican, Dominican and Turkish migration.  His work on traditional foods, nutrition and migration was supported by the National Geographic Society.  In addition to ongoing work in Oaxaca, he is currently studying the migration of Mexicans to Columbus.

Research:

Social Justice Program, Bridging the Digital Divide: A Collaborative Exploration of the Bhutanese Community Response to Covid-19, 2020.
National Science Foundation, Household Producer Effects of Rural Diet Transformation, BCS award 1918324, 2019.
The Transnational Research Laboratory

Awards:

Fulbright Specialist Program, 2022-2025.
Community-Engaged Scholar, Office of Outreach and Engagement, Ohio State University 2022.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Diversity Enhancement Award, College of Arts and Sciences, Ohio State University, 2015.

Publications:

Eating Grasshoppers, my new ethnography from University of Texas Press, explores the cultural, economic, and culinary significance of chapulines (toasted grasshoppers) in Oaxaca, Mexico. Through immersive fieldwork and anthropological analysis, I highlight how these edible insects are a symbol of tradition, resilience, and sustainability. Chapulines are a vital source of income for women vendors and a window into 3,000 years of culinary heritage. Rooted in voices of the woman who produce them, Eating Grasshoppers reveals how food embodies identity, pride, and innovation.

Exploring the digital divide among the Bhutanese Refugee Community during COVID-19: Engaged Research in Action. Jeffrey H. Cohen, Arati Maleku, Sudarshan Pyakurel, Taku Suzuki, Shambika Raut and Francisco Alejandro Montiel Ishino. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022, 19, 24, 16854. 

Echoes of Colour Discrimination in Refugee Protection Regime: the Experience of Africans Fleeing the Russia-Ukrainian War. Oyebamiji, Sunday Israel, Olumide Oyewole Oyebade, Jeffrey H. Cohen and David Okechukwu Abraham. Migration Letters, 19 (5): 695-776, 2022. 

The Handbook of Culture and Migration. Cohen, Jeffrey H. and Ibrahim Sirkeci, editors. London: Edward Elgar Press, 2021.

COVID-19 and Migration: Understanding the Pandemic and Human Mobility. Sirkeci, Ibrahim and Jeffrey H. Cohen, editors. London: Transnational Press, 2020.

Modelando el transnacionalismo: Nuevas Direcciones en Teorías de Migración. Cohen, Jeffrey H. and Paulette Schuster, Editors. London: Transnational Press, 2019.

Eating Soup without a Spoon: Anthropological Theory and Method in the Real World. Austin: University of Texas press, 2015

Director, Food, Culture and Society Certificate

Current Graduate Students

Nina Wilson
Chegwei Chen
Andrew MItchel

 

 

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