University of Toronto, Department of Sociology

Sara Hormozinejad, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Edward Herberg Fellowship. The fellowship, offered annually by the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts and Science, supports graduate students researching Canadian ethnoracial-religious communities. Hormozinejad’s dissertation, White and Secular in Iran, Brown and Muslim in Canada: Iranian Immigrants' Lived Experiences of Racialization and Islamophobia in Alberta and Ontario, was selected as this year’s winner. The Edward Herberg Fellowship will provide Hormozinejad with crucial financial support as she continues her dissertation research, contributing to a deeper understanding of the experiences of Iranian immigrants in Canada and the broader issues of racialization, Islamophobia, and belonging.

Hormozinejad’s dissertation, supported by an SSHRC grant, delves into the complexities of migrant integration by exploring the phenomenon of return migration from the Global North to the Global South. Her research sheds light on the ways in which migrants navigate inclusion and exclusion in socially diverse societies like Canada, focusing on how racial and religious identities influence their experiences. Hormozinejad’s findings will offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by immigrants in multicultural societies, especially those from ethnoracially and religiously distinct backgrounds.

Hormozinejad, who holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto, respectively, brings a wealth of experience to her research. Before embarking on her academic journey in Canada, she was a teacher in her home country of Iran. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is actively involved in teaching English as a Second Language and volunteering with programs that support newcomers to Canada.