Professor Ong has done research on the
labor market status of minorities and immigrants, displaced high-tech workers,
work and welfare and transportation access. He is currently engaged in several
projects, including studies on the effects of neighborhood economies on welfare
and work, community economic development in minority communities, and the labor
market for healthcare workers.
Previous research projects have included
studies of the impact of defense cuts on California's once-dominant aerospace
industry, the impact of immigration on the employment status of young African
Americans, and the influence of car ownership and subsidized housing on welfare
usage. He was co-author of a widely reported 1994 study on Asian Pacific
Americans, which challenged the popular stereotype of Asians as the country's
"model minority" by showing they are just as likely as other groups to be
impoverished.
Dr. Ong has served as an advisor to the
U.S. Bureau of the Census, and to the California Department of Social Services
and the state Department of Employment Development, as well as the Wellness
Foundation and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Paul Ong