Cecilia Menjívar, a UCLA sociology professor, received two prestigious awards from the American Sociological Association during its annual meeting in August.

The ASA, comprising around 10,000 members, distributes eight major awards each year, honoring scholars whose contributions have significantly impacted the discipline. Menjívar’s work in the fields of migration, gender-based violence and the systemic inequalities faced by immigrants earned her both the Jessie Bernard Award and the Public Understanding of Sociology Award, making her one of the rare few to win two awards in the same year.

“It is very special in that regard, professionally – the recognition from my colleagues, especially the recognition of the work I do,” Menjívar said.

The Jessie Bernard Award, named after an esteemed feminist sociologist, recognizes sociological research, teaching, mentorship, community building or service that has a broad feminist impact, according to the ASA. Menjívar’s research primarily focuses on immigrant women, specifically those from Central America, she said.

She added that she aims to shed light on the challenges these women face, particularly when interacting with agencies that are meant to protect them but often fail to do so. Beyond her research, Menjívar mentors women in all stages of life, advocates for gender equality and promotes equitable access through her participation on committees, she said.

“Across the board, I tried my best to center the lives of women – poor women, women of color, women of all races and all ages,” Menjívar said.

Menjívar’s second honor, the Public Understanding of Sociology Award, recognizes her efforts to advance public awareness and understanding of sociological research.

Her contributions include presenting research to policymakers in an effort to ensure they incorporate research-based work while formulating policy, she said. Menjívar added that she provided her own research for two class action lawsuits on behalf of immigrant women.

Edward Walker, chair of the Department of Sociology, said Menjívar’s contributions have bolstered the department’s research profile, particularly in the area of international migration, which is one of its core research sectors.

Along with her research, Menjívar also served as president of the ASA in 2022, Walker said. She was able to showcase UCLA’s role in addressing social challenges during the association’s Los Angeles meetings, he said, adding that she was also elected to the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

“It’s clear to our department, it’s clear to the discipline of sociology, that Professor Menjívar has made consistent, thorough and ongoing contributions to the way that sociology in general is understood more broadly,” Walker said.

Although many sociologists’ work is limited to one or two fields, Menjívar is a leading figure in several areas, said Rubén Hernández-León, a sociology professor and director of the Latin American Institute at UCLA.

“She’s always made a distinct effort to do sociology of the real world, a sociology that addresses and confronts and makes a public contribution to some of the most pressing debates in our world,” he said.

He added that Menjívar has also contributed to United States and Latin American organizations that tackle the issue of gender-based violence.

Menjívar said she chooses to research topics that are often immediate and urgent in the lives of immigrants. She added that she develops her research questions by paying attention to immigrant lives, listening to them and then generating scholarly work that is directly applicable to their experiences.

“The people in my studies – sometimes they’re very invisible,” Menjívar said. “Their lives only come up in negative stereotypes and in negative ways.”

Menjívar is currently writing a book highlighting the experiences of Central American women, which aims to understand the larger causes of vulnerabilities of and violence against women, she said.

Menjívar added that with her research, she aims to unearth questions that can appear as common sense but have deeper sociological roots. She said she hopes to mentor and train students to conduct sociological work that makes a difference.

“I think it’s important to think that our work doesn’t just stay with us – that it has a life, a life beyond what we do,” Menjívar said.