Oliver Wang

Oliver Wang is a professor of sociology at CSU Long Beach and the author of Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area (2015) and Cruising J-Town: Japanese American Car Culture in Los Angeles (2025).

Articles

After Further Review: Ghostface Killah’s “Supreme Clientele”
Oliver Wang and David Ma discuss Ghostface Killah’s “Supreme Clientele” and the trajectory of the Wu-Tang Clan around the turn of the century.
Oliver WangNov 3
- Music
F— Being Hard, De La Soul Is Complicated
Oliver Wang speaks with two De La Soul biographers, Dave Heaton and Marcus J. Moore, about their respective portrayals of the rap group’s complex legacy.
Oliver WangSep 30
- Music
- Cultural Studies
The Empress
Oliver Wang interviews legendary Chinese American actress Lisa Lu about her 65-year film career.
Oliver WangMay 29
- Film
Riding the Korean Wave
Oliver Wang interviews Euny Hong about her expanded edition of “The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture.”
Oliver WangMay 5
- Memoir & Essay
- Cultural Studies
Signs of Urban Life: On “The 99% Invisible City” and “The City Beneath”
Two books decipher the hidden meanings behind urban design, from sewage systems to graffiti art.
Oliver WangAug 2, 2021
- Art & Architecture
Giving Up the Goods: Mobb Deep’s “The Infamous” Turns 25
Oliver Wang revisits the antihero tales of crime and grime of the 1995 legacy-making album “The Infamous” by Mobb Deep on its 25th anniversary.
Oliver WangMay 22, 2020
- Music
Beyond Soul Food
A new book explores the wide range and deep history of African-American cuisine.
Oliver WangMar 3, 2020
- Food & Drink
From Chop Suey to Haute Cuisine: A Case Study in American “Ethnic Food”
Oliver Wang digests books on the complicated history of Chinese-American cuisine and the problematic label of “ethnic food.”
Oliver WangMar 20, 2017
- Cultural Studies
- Food & Drink
Space Invaders
Geoff Manaugh elevates burglars above petty criminal status and instead characterizes them as “drunk Jedis of architectural space.”
Oliver WangMay 12, 2016
- Nonfiction
Top Five, Dead or Alive
On Shea Serrano's new "Rap Year Book."
Oliver WangFeb 6, 2016
- Music
Records Don’t Love You Back: In Search of Lost 78s
These records, like the collectors who chase after them, enjoy transient existences and sharing them gives that ephemerality some meaning and purpose.
Oliver WangOct 15, 2014
- Music
Rage, Race, and Recipes
In Fresh Off the Boat, Chef Eddie Huang’s thoughts on race and masculinity are provocative but they often result in the memoir’s most muddled arguments.
Oliver WangApr 27, 2014
- Food & Drink
RJ Smith on James Brown
Oliver WangAug 2, 2012
PODCAST: Laura Pulido and Wendy Cheng and The People's Guide to LA
Oliver WangJul 25, 2012
David Leonard and Oliver Wang on "After Artest"
Oliver WangMay 26, 2012
Living with Linsanity
Racial difference was an integral part of Linsanity since the beginning and, as the phenomenon grew, the issue would continue to snowball.
Oliver WangMar 6, 2012