Dafeng Xu is a historian whose research focuses on urban history, migration, and the intersections of disaster and public policy in American history. He is the author of *Chinatown: San Francisco’s 1906 Earthquake and the Paradox of American Immigration Policy*, published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2026, which examines the impact of the 1906 earthquake and fire on San Francisco’s Chinatown and how responses to the disaster intersected with exclusionary immigration laws and racialized governance. Xu’s work combines archival research with analysis of policy, urban development, and community resilience to illuminate how historical events shaped immigrant experiences and American immigration frameworks. In addition to his book, he contributes to scholarly writing and teaching on migration, urban crises, and policy history, engaging audiences through academic publications and lectures.