Joshua Ching

Joshua (he/him) is a Kanaka ʻŌiwi senior at Yale University studying Political Science and Ethnicity, Race, & Migration. Along with his research through RITM and the Mellon Mays-Bouchet Undergraduate Fellowship, he is deeply invested in Native Hawaiian law, politics, and self-determination movements. These interests have informed his ongoing work with the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation to develop a digital tool that streamlines the expungement application process in Hawaiʻi.

On campus, Joshua serves as Head of House Staff at the Native American Cultural Center, co-president of the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project, a research assistant for Dr. Hiʻilei Hobart, and former co-head of the New Haven Pardon Program. He also founded the University’s first Pasifika student organization, through which he led negotiations that resulted in the removal of plaques around campus commemorating missionaries who proselytized in Native communities across Oceania. This advocacy was informed by his participation in the repatriation of Native Hawaiian ancestral remains from the Peabody Museum during his freshman year.

Beyond Yale, Joshua serves on the Youth Advisory Board of the Center for Native American Youth, interns with Mālama Kuaʻāina, and served as a Legislative Intern for U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono. He has also worked with several Hawaiʻi-based organizations to author, introduce, and pass State legislation related to public health equity and Native civic engagement. Following graduation, Joshua hopes to attend law school and return home to serve his community.

Undergraduate Fellow, 2025-2026